Strike Heroes
by Dilnos521
Summary: Roland Sage has been recruited for the legendary Strike Witches by Minna-Dietlinde Wilcke. However, he hides a secret that could very well ruin his chances of feeling close to normal. With magic he barely learned about and a mysterious prototype only he can use, can even Roland survive what will be the stepping stone to a new legend? Rated T for now.
1. Boat Combat

**Hey there. Welcome to my first story on the site.**

**I had been thinking about this story for some time, and while I had to fix a few things in order to have it make sense I liked where I'm going to head with this story. This is a toss-up between being based on canon and being an alternate version, but the only thing I can say is that this is going to explore a few areas that will expand the world of the Strike Witches universe, confirmed, assumed, or otherwise..**

**This will follow the storyline of the first season, with changes being made based on the actions of the main character. This means that at some point something major will change.**

**Oh, and one last thing: I do not own any characters except those I created.**

**Anyways, that's enough for the explanations. Enjoy.**

**XXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 1: Boat Combat**

I'm not too sure how I got here.

Maybe I had been playing with fate a little too much. Maybe I was just being taught a lesson.

Either way, I can't be certain if I can even call myself human anymore.

Or, at least, not the normal sense.

Oh right…I think I should introduce myself first so that you don't think I'm just talking to myself. The name's Roland Sage. Lately, Sergeant Roland Sage.

It's a bit of a hard story to recreate, so I guess I'll keep it short: I never asked for all this to happen.

Trust me, it's a bit hard to tell you. I'm trying to wrap my head around that concept still.

The only thing I can tell you is that I was currently on some carrier called the _Ascension_. I think it's some sort of reference to a game, but the name escapes me.

Oh right. Enough with the side-stories.

Well, I had barely woken up and was sitting up as I rubbed my eyes. I hadn't been getting a lot of sleep: damn Neuroi keep on attacking, and every time I try to take a nap, I either get caught up in my thoughts of what's going to happen next or some Neuroi flies within threatening range.

I had to change out of my green fatigues and dark green shirt and into my military outfit, which looked a little funny to me: brown slacks and a brown military jacket covering a black collared shirt. My shoes weren't so bad: brown dress shoes.

As I was fixing my jacket, I heard a knock at the door that served as a barrier from the rest of the world.

"Yes?" I asked.

"Sergeant Sage?" I heard a feminine voice say. "You ready to train?"

"Uh, yeah. Hang on really fast."

I walked over to the door and opened it up to reveal a sight that you probably would blush at: standing there was a blond-haired girl wearing the same clothes as I did…with one major difference. Instead of having the slacks on, she had nothing covering her legs, showing quite plainly to the world that she had white panties on.

As usual, I blushed.

"Kayley," I said as I averted my gaze.

"Oh right," Kayley said as she realized my reason for turning away. "Sorry, but you're going to have to get used to it."

"You don't think I'm trying?"

To my amusement, she simply chuckled. "You're silly, Ground Witch."

After she said that, I turned to her, the blush still evident on my face. Why did she have to use that nickname for me?

Right, I need to fill you in: apparently I'm a rare type of being called a Witch, and I'm male to boot. That places me somewhere between rare and valuable. At least by this world's standards, I hope. According to the reports I heard about from Kayley, Witches were only occurring at about one in every thousand births. I'm not exactly sure of the count for them being male, but I think I can place the number at about three in every thousand Witches.

As for the nickname: I was originally in a boot camp for the military. The non-Witch portion, mind you. Anyways, after an accidental use of powers I didn't even know I had, I was sent here along with Kayley and Commander Hannah Ellios. Because of the fact that I had no experience in flight of any kind, I had to settle for gun training until Commander Ellios arrived from her current duty.

Hey, just because I didn't have any flight experience didn't mean that I couldn't fight alongside the others. I used a sniper rifle to fire at any Neuroi that came in our vicinity. Luckily, the Neuroi we had so far were rather weak, which was completely unlike them.

Sorry, but if they were really trying to destroy us all, they would have targeted the _Ascension_ before the Witches in the air, being one currently.

Luckily, Kayley was qualified for giving me gun training, though she could only do it for handguns and certain guns, sniper rifles not being one of them. As a result, I usually had to practice on my own when I got bored.

XXXXXXXXXX

We had barely gotten onto the deck when the familiar sounds of an impending Neuroi attack rang across the ship.

I looked at Kayley and could do nothing but sigh.

"Another attack?" I asked.

"Let's go," Kayley said simply before running off in search of her Striker Unit.

"Wait!" I tried to stop her, but she was soon out of earshot.

Sighing, I raced to the same place she was heading: the hangar, which was where the weapons we used to fight were.

By the time I got to the weapons rack, Kayley had grabbed a Bren light machine gun and an M1917 revolver. I reached in and grabbed a Browning Automatic Rifle as well as a Browning HP (I assume the HP stands for Hand Pistol. Keyword: _assume_). Slinging the BAR on my back, I grabbed an Arisaka Type 97 sniper rifle and held that in my hands.

"You know the drill, right, Roland?" Kayley asked me.

"Yeah, lieutenant," I told her. "Stand on the deck and snipe. Evac all personnel if things don't work out well."

"Pretty much," was all she said before hopping into her Striker Unit and taking off down the runway.

There was one thing I hadn't quite understood: it was that the Witches, due to some sort of restriction in the Striker Unit, had to avoid wearing pants or anything that would make the devices' performance suffer. As a result, I, being a rather odd case to begin with already, had to deal with the fact that: a) I have two rather gorgeous teammates; and b) I have two girls that don't wear pants.

Then the scary notion came up: if I flew a Striker Unit, would I have to…?

Shaking it off my mind, I readied my Arisaka and took aim at the incoming Neuroi. Taking a deep breath, I set my right index finger on the trigger and lined up my shot carefully. Somewhere inside that thing was its core. If I could nail it in one shot…

BANG!

As I pulled the handle of the place where I had to insert another round toward me, I watched the round whiz past Kayley as she flew to fight the Neuroi. While I didn't hit the core, I managed to hit it at one of its auxiliary cannons, making it unable to hit Kayley with as many shots.

I set the round in the chamber and closed the chamber back up as I watched Kayley fly past a few lasers fired from the Neuroi. Luckily, I didn't get hit, though the _Ascension_ wasn't so lucky: it suffered a hit to its hangar.

Dammit, of all times to worry about being hit…

I readied the rifle again and sighted down the barrel. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Kayley erect a blue barrier that prevented the Neuroi's lasers from hitting her. However, she couldn't really attack it: the Neuroi's attacks were keeping her from firing because her magic was being drained to provide her defense.

Before I could fire another round, I saw a bunch of rounds slam into the Neuroi, and I turned my head to see a red-haired woman flying over the enemy, wearing the same thing as Kayley. In her hands was a BAR, which she was busy reloading.

Sadly, I couldn't tell her how grateful I was for seeing her because I didn't think about grabbing a headset. However, I could figure that she was telling Kayley to provide a distraction while she readied her magic.

I sighted back down the barrel and fired off a second round. This time I think I was close because I think Commander Ellios spotted something red.

As I set another round in the chamber, I couldn't help but look up, and I think I regretted it.

I saw that the Neuroi was charging up a burst of energy and aiming at Commander Ellios, who was unaware of where the Neuroi was aiming at.

"Commander, look out!" I shouted as loudly as I could. I fired off a round that barely zoomed past her.

As she turned to look at the path the bullet had taken, the Neuroi fired its weapon, and Commander Ellios couldn't protect herself fully. As her barrier went up, the Neuroi's beam proved to be too powerful for her weakened shield, and soon I saw Commander Ellios falling toward the deck of the _Ascension_.

"Commander Ellios!" I called out as I raced to where I thought she was going to land.

Luckily, she had enough energy left in her to fly in for a gentle landing as I dropped my Arisaka and caught her in my arms.

Instantly calling upon what training I had, I scanned her body for the damage she suffered. As I stood there with her breathing heavily in my arms, I felt the blood from her chest soak my jacket.

"Commander Ellios, you're going to make it, right?" I asked quickly as I tried to move us somewhere safe.

However, she set her arms behind my back and looked me right in the eyes.

"Sergeant…" she started rather weakly. "I don't think I'm going to make it…"

"What are you talking about? Of course you are!"

"Sage, I know you haven't seen death like this before, but…please….let me go…"

As soon as she said that, she fell against my chest, her breathing getting more and more shallow.

_Where the hell's a doctor when you need one?_ I asked myself as Commander Hannah Ellios's breathing finally stopped.

I rested her body on the ground and slid off the Striker Unit she had been wearing. I was fighting the urge to cry, which was probably unmanly of me if I did.

I looked up at the Neuroi as a shot from it rocked the ship again. I wasn't too sure where the attack landed due to the fact that my attention was now on it. I then looked at my former commander and finally noticed a sort of bulge inside one of her breast pockets. How the hell I didn't feel it as she was against my chest was beyond me, but I reached in gingerly and quickly and pulled out one of those pineapple grenades the Liberion army members were using. As I held it in my right hand, I looked at the Neuroi and an idea popped into my head.

Standing up and sticking the grenade into my pocket, I undid the belt that held my slacks up as well as the button and zipper. As I was slipping the slacks off my legs to reveal gray boxers, one thought was dominant in my mind: I was going to fly up there, training or no training. I also had to take off my shoes and socks in case the device didn't work with them on.

I never managed to prop the Striker Unit on anything to make my life easier, so I had to settle for slipping my legs in while it was still lying on the ground. As I finally entered the Striker Unit, I felt a tingly sensation deep down…or maybe it was the pocket dimension thingy scanning my legs. I have no idea.

Anyways, as I was trying to stand up, some of the ship's crew members now recognized that I needed help getting up and ran over to me, giving me a hand in standing up straight.

"What are you doing, sergeant?" one of them asked.

I simply looked at the Neuroi.

"You'd best start evacing right now," I told them. "If this doesn't work, then at least you guys can still live." I pointed at the slacks, with the grenade still inside, and added, "Can you hand me that please?"

One of them did as I said and handed me the slacks. I grabbed the legs and tied it around my waist, making sure the grenade didn't slip out of the pocket. I then took the BAR I had on my back and held it in both hands.

I felt the Striker Unit kick to life, and soon I could feel the wind generated from the magic propellers fly past me as it flew to the skies. My shirt and jacket picked up the wind a little, but the articles of clothing fitted me rather well as they didn't flap a whole lot.

"Be sure to pull up when you reach the end," a crew member said as a final tip. "You'll hit the water if you don't."

I simply nodded and took off down the runway, my skin feeling the breeze as I raced down the runway. Taking heed to listen to the advice, I pulled up before the end and flew into the air.

So far, so good…

However, the Neuroi had now taken a liking to me, and I barely avoided a direct hit from one of its cannons.

I turned the Striker Unit around and looked at the Neuroi, thinking of how to approach it best.

Then, an idea hit me.

I flew in toward it, taking care to avoid the red bursts of energy coming right for me. Kayley may have gotten my plan, for she was busy trying to draw its attention while trying to defend the two of us.

I flew over her and aimed my rifle at the hull of the enemy ship, pulling the trigger quickly. I think I emptied the entire clip into the hull before I had to reload, which was impossible because I had the rifle for an emergency, not a combat situation. Sighing, I slung it back over and noticed that I made a good-sized hole in the hull, revealing the prize: the crystalline red Neuroi core.

Reaching into the pocket of the slacks and pulling out the grenade, I flew in carefully in case it caught wind of me and pulled the pin.

_1…_

I threw the grenade into the hole, and I think it landed in a groove near the core.

_2…_

I backed off quickly and flew away, determined to not find out if the grenade could go through the hull.

_3…_

_4…_

_5…_

_BOOM!_

I think the explosion caught Kayley by surprise, but she looked fine. As for the Neuroi…it had lost its core, so the enemy simply exploded in a burst of white snow-like substance.

XXXXXXXXXX

After the Neuroi was destroyed, I was congratulated for taking to the air despite having no experience, and we were soon setting course for a dock in Liberion for repairs.

However, while the crew were celebrating, I ws sitting inside my quarters, trying to make sense of what Commander Ellios told me.

_Sage, I know you haven't seen death like this before, but...please...let me go..._

I flipped the pin that was from the grenade inside my right hand. Somehow I didn't want to lose the last tie I could keep with the commander. I mean, I haven't known her that long, but I don't like death right now.

Then again, it was around World War Two right now, though it wasn't with humans: it was with a mysterious being known as the Neuroi.

From what I understand, the Neuroi came down and started attacking Earth, taking large amounts of land and converting into some sort of material for their use. Because of that, the countries' shapes were radically different from where I was from.

Right, I have to explain what I could remember: see, I'm not from around here...or even from this Earth. I was from one where the Neuroi only existed as part of an anime. I can't explain how I got here, but I am pretty sure that this is not a game. People have died in front of me.

Well, Commander Ellios was barely the first, but still...

I heard a knock on my door.

"Sergeant?" I heard Kayley ask as she opened the door a crack.

"Yeah, ma'am?" I asked her as I looked at her.

"Can I come in?"

"Sure, ma'am."

As she slipped inside, she decided to say something: "Can we talk informally? I know you're of a lower rank than I am, but I just want to talk."

"Okay then...Kayley."

I then noticed her right forearm, which had been bandaged up for some reason. "You okay, Kayley?"

"Hmm?" She moved her arm. "Right. I got grazed by a laser. The burn's not much, but...it still hurts like hell. What about you?"

"I'm fine. Just trying to get my mind off the battle. It's rather tough right now, so it'll take a while. So, what now?"

"Well, I've been reassigned to a group in Fuso. What about you?"

"Well, I guess with the commander dead I'll be returning to the base for the remainder of my time."

"I see...this is the last time we'll see each other, huh?"

"i guess so. Kayley, you've been a excellent Witch. Don't die out there."

"Roland...it's a dangerous time for a Witch in the battlefield, but...I'll try to live for your sake. You just learn how to use your magic better, and I hope the next team you're assigned to take care of you."

Kayley left the room, leaving me to my thoughts.

_What's going to happen now?_ I asked myself. _I mean, I don't have any idea why I'm even in this world in the first place. How long can I go before something goes wrong?_

I shook my head. No matter what, I'm here. Why I was here remained a mystery for me, but I was going to try figuring it out.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Thanks for reading it. Please read and respond.**

**Oh, and one last note: I'm not perfect at getting details right. If you see something that doesn't match something a character is like (or would say or do) or an event that occurred, let me know. I'm open to any corrections, comments, and critique you guys can think of.**


	2. Honorary Strike Witch

**Hey there. Welcome to the next chapter in "Strike Heroes".**

**Now, I am first going to address some of the reviews I have received concerning the story:**

_fuji92_**: I'm not really concerned with the ideas people have concerning the 501st and OCs. The way I see it is that they have a right to think that. It's not going to make a difference to the story. For the pairing, as stated this is the first story on this site...and I have next to no idea what some of the things do. So, to explain the pairing thing: the reason the two names (Minna & Yoshika) were chosen is because of two reasons: one, Minna is the one who picked up Roland; and two, Yoshika was the newest one (replacing Lynette's status of being the newest recruit) to join the Strike Witches. This story is going to be changing a few details to fit the ideas I have, but pairings are still up in the air. Though I have to agree with some of the pairings I've seen, especially those of Lynette and Yoshika. As for the Browning HP, Roland thought the "HP" meant "Hand Pistol". Thanks for telling me that it really meant "Hi-Power", though. Might be interesting later on if Roland has to deal with naming guns. Also: don't worry about Roland. I might have to do some tweaking, but the current way I'm thinking of him as a male Witch (I guess Wizard, now that I think about it...) should be good. I'll have to examine him along the way to keep him from becoming a Gary Stu. Though given his background for this story, he's got more problems than surviving.**

_cabbage cabrera_**: Thanks for the review. I'm working on Roland's powers to make sure he doesn't catch it.**

**Good, with the reviews' responses out of the way, it's time to get to the next chapter.**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 2: Honorary Strike Witch**

_Minna's POV_

I walked down the halls toward General Weiss's office, reading the dossier I had been forwarded by Air Commodore Galland as some of the men working around the base looking at me as I moved.

I didn't really mind too much, I guess. It's not exactly every day that a Witch of my ranking walks onto a base, especially this one on the east coast of what was left of Liberion.

I instantly felt my stomach growl. Chuckling softly, I decided to make a quick detour to the mess hall to grab some breakfast, which was scrambled eggs with a strip of bacon and two pieces of toast.

You know, for some reason I can't quite put my finger on...I think it was odd with it. There wasn't exactly any Witches on this particular base, so why the breakfast like this?

Then again, this guy I'm picking up...according to the reports I had in my hands, he's male and has magic.

As I ate my breakfast, I read the file again to make sure I wasn't forgetting anything.

_Name: Roland Sage_

_Age: 18_

_Sex: Male_

_Country: Liberion_

_Branch: Army_

_Rank: Lieutenant_

_Service Records: Served under Commander Ellios. Has defended _Ascension_ alongside Lieutenant Nova._

_Background: Orphan_

_Psychological Profile: Seems to have no real problems of note._

_Notes: Has magic. While magic reserves are rather good, magic usage is wanting. Claims to have never heard of his powers before. Magic can be classified as gyrokinesis, of the telekinesis branch. Also seems to have an aura, though uses so far have been shown as limited aura reading._

I was a little confused: His magic reserves were fine, and his powers being wanting could be understood considering his background, but gyrokinesis and limited aura readings?

Attached were some other reports, particularly one of his first day in the Army, when his powers somehow sent a drill sergeant flying. Interestingly enough, for someone who had this happen to him, he was now a soldier...well, at least he has the mentality of one...I hope.

I'm almost certain that he and Trude won't be getting along very well if he was like her. Then again, I could imagine it, and I shook my head.

Who am I kidding? I can't even be certain. Who knows? Maybe they were pulling my tail (not literally, mind you; last I checked, I wasn't in my Striker Unit nor was I using my magic currently), and this boy was actually a girl.

Then again, I knew Commander Ellios. She wouldn't be pulling my tail with this one...

XXXXXXXXXX

_Roland's POV_

It's been a week since what was now called the _Ascension _incident, and I was instantly some sort of celebrity on the base. Hell, after returning I was rewarded with the rank of lieutenant. The next day, I graduated from training, and the day after was her funeral.

I think I should cover the funeral first. It was rather typical, surprisingly; apparently a Witch's funeral was no different from a normal human's. What was odd was that I felt this air of mixed feelings, like someone had fused fear, awe, and respect into the same area. I had watched some of the episodes, particularly episodes three to six, and I hadn't really felt this sort of feeling in the anime. Odd how being in a place is completely different from watching it...

Now, about the fact that I was famous on the base...no one bothers to ask how I felt about losing Commander Ellios. I mean, I didn't know her personally, but she was the first Witch that actually took an interest in a male Witch like me. I never learned why, but I'm sure that she had her reasons.

No, no one asks me about it. It was all about "What possessed you to fly up there without any training in using the Striker Unit?", "How did you finish off the Neuroi?", and (my "personal" favorite) "Were you scared at all?"

How many answers do I have for that particular question? Let me see... "Ah, yeah. I shit my pants."... "Naw, I had my big boy pants on."...

I mean, really: you have to ask me if I was scared?

...Sorry, I just feel frustrated. I lost the first Witch who accepted me into her squad, I killed my first Neuroi, I'm being peppered by questions on base...ugh!

I was simply lying in my cot that day, the other trainees off with some new instructor or something.

It felt odd not doing any training: I was stuck here until I could find a Witch unit that could take me, and I somehow didn't feel like doing anything. May be because I was frustrated or something.

Therefore, to keep myself from going insane, I was using my powers to practice them.

Judging from the powers I have, I can use a sort of aura. Attack capabilities: not quite sure, though I could throw things at people by encasing it in a green glow. Defensive capabilities: not sure there at all. Maybe I could use it defensively, but again I'm not sure. Other applications: none currently.

Anyways, I was simply lifting the chest at the foot of my cot. I lost track of the count, but I think I did it about a hundred times before a recruit entered the barrack.

"Lieutenant Sage?" he asked.

I turned my head to look at him.

"Yes, recruit?" I asked, sounding tired as well as bored.

"General Weiss would like to see you."

"What for?" I sat up and got onto my feet.

"Something about a Witch interested in you."

I was intrigued. What Witch would be interested in me? "I'll be there."

XXXXXXXXXX

As I walked into the general's office, I took in the view. The office had a desk that the general was sitting behind, with some filing cabinets to my left. Two chairs were seated on the other side of the desk, the part I could easily walk to.

General Weiss was looking at me with gray eyes. His gray-white hair told me that he was probably aging right now. I swore I saw some wrinkles on his face due to the stress factor. He wore the same outfit as I did, albeit in a larger size.

I hated to admit it, but I'm not exactly the buffest guy in the world. Yeah, my shoulders were wide…to a degree. If I remembered my X-ray picture correctly, I had my shoulders going slightly past my hips. Thanks to the training here, my muscles were moderately defined. Just enough for moderate work out on the field, like carrying a heavy backpack.

I then noticed the female figure sitting in one of the chairs in front of the general. I couldn't see her face, but she had a gray-green jacket on. Her hair was a red-brown, and assuming she was indeed a Witch she had nothing covering her legs.

"Ah," General Weiss said as he took notice of me. "Our guest has arrived."

I watched as the girl stood up and turned to face me, and I swore my heart skipped a few beats. I did managed to note that she had red eyes, but other than that I was trying to figure out why someone as…well, as attractive as her wanted me, some male Witch who hadn't really flown a lot.

"Lieutenant, this is Wing Commander Minna Wilcke," the general added. "Wilcke, this is recently-promoted Lieutenant Roland Sage, the Ground Witch."

"So you're the boy who stopped that Neuroi during the _Ascension_ attack?" Minna asked me.

Like a smitten idiot, I didn't really grasp the question for a few seconds.

"Huh?" I asked as I shook my head to focus. "I guess I am."

"Well, I'm impressed based off the reports on you," the commander continued. "Your ability to create an aura…the fact that you were here for sixteen weeks despite the fact that you're a Witch…your natural talent on guns…"

"Oh stop." Listening to all that made me blush slightly.

"Anyways, I came here because I'm interested in recruiting you. I understand that you have had no prior experience in any Witch Corps groups, correct?"

"Uh…yeah."

"Today's your big break. Like I stated, I was impressed by the records on you. At least, the records I was allowed to see. Anyways, I lead a group of Witches that form the Five Hundred and First Joint Fighter Wing." When she saw my slightly blank expression she added, "It's also known as the Strike Witches."

"Ah. That group." I heard about them, or at least I remembered from the anime. "Why me?"

"Other than the fact that your records prove you to be an able Witch? Your training in the use of the Striker Unit could use some work, though it's impressive that you flew it like you had flown it before. We can help you with the Striker Unit. Plus, your reputation as the Ground Witch is something you could utilize given the right situation. That, and I don't think you have your powers under control yet. So…?"

I thought about it. I could either go with Minna and train in the proper way to be a Witch or stay here and…

And do what? Sit around and lose hope in getting home? Might as well do something worthwhile while I was in this world...

I flashed a thumbs-up with my right hand.

"I'm your man!" I said excitedly. "Though, not literally."

"That's great to hear, lieutenant," Minna said. "We'll be leaving tomorrow. It's going to be a rather long trip, so I hope you get some sleep."

"Oh, lieutenant?" General Weiss added in. "I have something to show you…"

XXXXXXXXXX

"A watch?" I asked as I slipped on said watch. Minna and the general were with me when we got to the intelligence building, though judging by the gift it may be more of a dumb-telligence building.

The watch had a brown strap that had notches for the little hook to enter for size-fitting and –adjusting. The edge around the watch's face was of a gold color, and it had three hands: a red second hand, a long black hand for the minute, and a short black one for the hour. The numbers were of familiar design, being the same thing I use when writing down numbers. You know, like: 1, 2, 3…

"It's not just a watch," the general said. "Some mysterious benefactor gave it to us yesterday with the instructions that it was for the Ground Witch. It even came with some instructions for it. If I recall correctly, the watch can receive your energy to activate a unique Striker Unit."

"That's a load of bull…" I started as I proceeded to try making the general see how silly that sounded. I was interrupted when, as I was sending my energy into the watch to try "activating" the device, I felt my feet get lifted off the ground as some sort of metallic framework gave me a place to stand. I then stared at my legs as they got covered by the shell of a Striker Unit. The fins formed soon after, and I recognized the decal on them: it was from the Jolly Rogers squadron of F-14s.

What were the Jolly Rogers decals doing being here?

"See?" the general said with a slight grin. "However, there's a small problem when you deactivate it, according to the instructions…"

"Which is?" I asked as I drained the watch of its energy, which was how I assumed I turned the device off. As the Striker Unit was magically disassembled, I was aware of a blue magic circle underneath me. I was also aware that my slacks were now torn up where the Striker Unit had covered said clothing. "The hell…?"

"It said that you need a specific clothing to prevent that from happening."

"Which is what, a skirt?" I was rather upset: I had these slacks since I was on the _Ascension_, and now I had them torn up by some stupid prototype piece of crap. And I was not going to wear a skirt! Maybe a kilt, but not a skirt a girl would wear!

"These."

A box was kicked over to me, and as I got onto one knee to rummage through the contents, I was struck by something odd: these were civilian clothes. More importantly, these were mine! I haven't seen these since I enrolled in the Army.

"The letter said that you needed the pants in there to withstand the shredding effects of the prototype," General Weiss said. "It also said that the prototype will activate and work properly with or without pants, so if you ever changed into a girl…"

'Let's stop right there," I said quickly. I was not going to get a sex change anytime soon! Or ever!

"Anyways…I'm giving you permission to wear these clothes into combat. Or rather, that's your new commander's call."

We both looked at Minna, waiting for her reply.

"Well…" she said with a slight blush. "I don't think it's a particularly bright idea, but I guess Lieutenant Sage can wear them. It'll be something unique for him."

"Thanks, commander," I said as I saluted with my right hand. "Permission to go take a shower?"

"Actually," General Weiss said. "I need you to escort the wing commander to her quarters for the night. Then you can take a shower, okay?"

"Uh, sure?"

"Here are the directions to her quarters, lieutenant."

XXXXXXXXXX

It took me a while before we found the room in question, and as soon as I opened it and let Minna step inside I was amazed at what I saw: the room was rather...roomy, with a twin-sized bed, a dresser for clothes (which Minna didn't look like she brought some), and a table for writing on. There was also a desk in the back of the room, near a large window.

"Well," I said as I looked at the paper yet again. "This is your room, commander. If you need anything, just ask someone on base to get it, okay, ma'am?"

"Actually, lieutenant," Minna began as she turned to look at me once I looked up again. "I was hoping to talk to you about a few things."

"Ma'am, I can talk to you about personal matters when we leave tomorrow. As for anything else, feel free to fire away."

"Okay...never thought you would be the one in control of the conversation right now..."

"Sorry, commander...I'm just frustrated now."

"About what happened to Commander Ellios?" When I looked at her, she continued. "Lieutenant, there was nothing you could have done to protect her. She was a good commander, and I know she would be proud to see that someone else took a notice toward you, Roland."

"And why did you really pick me?"

Minna sighed. "I picked you because Ellios and I had a deal with each other. She was worried about something, but she couldn't tell me what it was. So she told me to take you in before the military sent you off to a different base. I promised her that I would have you be a part of my team, and I'm not going to break a promise with her."

I was stunned. "She told you to take me in?"

Minna nodded. "You have the potential to be something great. Ellios saw it, and I can see it now for myself. Don't worry, we'll talk about personal things tomorrow. If you're up to it. For now, get some rest. You're going to need it."

XXXXXXXXXX

I was now lying on the cot, trying to get some sleep. However, that was a little difficult currently: I was now thinking about the turn of events.

Here I was: being recruited by Commander Minna because she had promised she would, having a prototype Striker Unit residing out of sight and on my wrist at the same time, having my old clothes back…

Why did it feel so odd?

Well, I guess you deserve to know the rest: as explained, I'm not from around here. Or even from this world. It's hard to explain, but somehow I ended up in this world, a world where things like I have seen occur on an almost-daily basis.

I think it was the fact that I fell asleep at my computer back in my world. Anyways, I remembered waking up in some abandoned orphanage and trying to piece together where I was. After a while, I realized that I was in that anime/manga series: _Strike Witches_.

At the time, I was a little freaked out: what was I doing inside an anime world? Or even a different world for that matter?

At least I could remember some details from the anime, which is probably going to come in pretty handy during the fight to defend Britannia.

That was another thing I had to deal with: the countries I remembered calling names like Germany, Britain, Japan, Russia, and all those were now changed into Karlsland, Britannia, Fuso, Orussia, etc.

At least the United States of Liberion still had the "United States" attached to it.

Anyways, I digress. I should be getting some sleep now, but it's so hard to do, especially with the idea that I'll be hanging out with a lot of cute girls.

I closed my eyes and tried getting some sleep…

XXXXXXXXXX

I think I overslept, for somehow I had missed the bugle call for wake-up time.

In fact, I barely woke up to find Minna standing in the doorway of the barrack, looking at me as I stretched.

"You get enough sleep?" she asked as a sort of joke.

"Not sure," I said as I shook out my hair. "Maybe a few more hours…" I added a slight smile to show her that I was kidding.

"We need to get moving. Mio should be back with the other recruit in a few days."

"Other recruit?" Oh right…Yoshika.

"Yep."

"Well, I hope she's friendly."

"We'll have you learn that on your own."

XXXXXXXXXX

Here I was: standing there in my civilian clothes, which consisted of a white shirt with a green vest over it, black cargo pants, black trainers, and my prototype Striker Unit/Watch Thingy (I don't know the official name, so I guess I should just call it "the watch"). I had a European sword inside a brown scabbard that was hanging behind my back and a rusty crowbar I had found on the base fitted into a special scabbard I made using a few materials on the base, which I had behind the small of my back.

Minna was standing at the doorway to a small passenger plane that was conveniently our ride to Brittannia.

"You ready, lieutenant?" she asked as she climbed on board using a set of stairs.

"Right!" I shouted as I raced to the doorway. I raced up the stairs quickly and was soon panting. I looked straight ahead, and I think I regretted it: I caught a view of white panties.

"You're a little red around the cheeks," Minna said as she noticed my now-blushing face.

"Huh?" I said as I tried wiping the blush off. "Sorry, b-but..."

To my embarrassment, she chuckled.

Hey, you try being a male in an alternate world where Witches most likely never existed!

Luckily for me, I avoided saying that out loud.

"Don't worry," she said. "You'll probably be doing that a lot while you're there. By the way…can I ask you about your magic abilities?"

"Hmm?" I hummed as we took a seat. "Yeah. Let's see, so far I can lift things, and I can read auras. I'm not sure about anything else, though."

"Aura can be used in spatial awareness as well as a sort of reader. I have confidence that you'll be able to utilize your aura for almost anything you need."

"Thanks. Hey, what about you? I think I read or heard about you once. Do you have anything you wanted to do?"

Minna smiled, and soon we were talking about almost anything. I told her about my training during boot camp, how I got my nickname, and Kayley. In return, my new commander talked about her dreams of being a singer, some of her teammates, and the state of the world with the Neuroi attacking.

"Can you tell me a little more about Lieutenant Charlotte Yeager?" I asked her after a while.

"You probably heard of her," Minna said. "She's rather famous, especially in Liberion."

"That's great. Um, what is she famous for?"

"I'll let you ask Shirley that when we get there."

"Aw man."

Oh well, at least I know a bit more about her than I let on. For some reason, I have to play along like I don't know them, in case something changes. Before I came here, I remembered this story where the guy had ended up inside the Mass Effect universe, but some things changed while he was there. I can't seem to remember it right now, but who knows?

Man, this is going to be difficult: at some point, I'm going to have to reveal that I'm from a completely different world and that I know (to a degree) about what's going to happen. The question was: when?

Besides, why spoil it for them? That would be like taking the element of surprise out of a prank, I think.

XXXXXXXXXX

We flew for a while (can't really tell how long; I fell alseep and forgot to check the time before taking my nap) until we reached my new base, which was on an island near Britannia.

However, as soon as we landed, the sirens went off. Minna, being my new commander, told me that I wasn't going to fly this mission, though there were a few Witches busy taking off.

"So what am I gonna do, commander?" I complained as I looked at her. "Twiddle my thumbs?"

"Well," Minna said quickly, "you can take a nap for a while." She then left to deal with the problem.

Nap? What am I, a cat? I did not just get told to go take a nap...did I? Besides that, why am I taking another nap?!

This left me rather bored shortly after, so I wandered around the base, making sure I turned off my Striker Unit before moving. Living up to its claim, the deforming of the Striker Unit left my cargo pants intact.

Somehow, this didn't make sense: I thought you couldn't use pants for a Striker Unit? Something about pocket dimensions and being tight or something...I don't remember! Who actually managed to make it like this? Seriously!

Oh, well...I can't complain. At least I can still feel decent. That, and I think some of the stories I read about people going into established worlds and witnessing events that never occurred and learning facts that didn't exist no matter how many times they played the games/watched the movies/read the books/whatever...

Sorry, did I make you confused? I can't believe that I said all that...

Soon, I found a couch inside what I could consider the living room and flopped on it, making sure to kick my shoes off so that I couldn't get the couch dirty or muddy. I soon fell asleep to catch up on some much-needed sleep.

I wasn't quite aware of it yet, but the way I saw the world of the Strike Witches was about to really change right before my eyes…

XXXXXXXXX

_Roland: Next time on **Strike Heroes**, this is going to be one fun first week on base._

_Lynette: Um, lieutenant? What's with the radio?_

_Roland: Oh! Lynne! Sorry. I'm just talking here. Anyways, what's up?_

_Lynette: ...You okay? I mean, I can understand if you're angry at something..._

_Roland: Uh, what gave you that idea?_

_Lynette: You looked determined when you flew into battle that time..._

_Roland: Right. Your first Neuroi shoot-down..._

_Lynette: Next time: **You're Not**** Alone**..._

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Well, there's the next chapter.**

**Just to discuss the story details so far...I remember that Striker Units usually require little to no clothing covering the legs in order to work optimally. For Roland to receive a Striker Unit that somehow removes that restriction...something doesn't smell right...**

**Anyways, please read and review.**


	3. You're Not Alone (Part 1)

**Alright! Here comes the next chapter in _Strike Heroes_! I'd clap, but you wouldn't be able to hear it. :)**

**Alright, review-responding time...**

fuji92**: Sorry about the foreboding thing. I thought it would at least set the idea that Roland receiving the prototype was no mere coincidence...or is it? It's great to hear you say you're looking forward to the next chapter. I'll try not to disappoint.**

_Cabbage_ _cabrera_**: The idea of the watch housing the Striker Unit came to me from sources like Joe's V-Watch in _Viewtiful Joe_. The thought came to me when I thought about the fact that the average Witch in the 501st (excluding Sanya for her skirt) wore nothing for the lower body. I then thought about the fact that the non-magic users (males serving in the military) wear their uniform. It was then I realized that I had no idea how a male Witch would be able to solve the problem concerning the custom. In Roland's case, he's a male...and a magic user (as stated, he states that his condition was between "rare" and "valuable"). Add in the fact that he's from a different world...and the idea of having to take his pants off just to pilot the Striker Units would have seemed terrifying for him. Fortunately for him, he has the watch containing the prototype Striker Unit, though he already piloted his first normal Striker Unit. Oh, and Roland also doesn't seem to like the idea of his Striker Unit's "pants-or-not" statement, as indicated by him stopping General Weiss once the comment was made and adding in the fact that he was never going to just turn into a girl.**

**Whew, that was a mouthful (not literally)...**

_MrWolfDog_**: I am well aware of the fact that the "HP" means "Hi-Power". I covered it in my last entry, but thanks for letting me know either way.**

_Warmach1ne32_**: It's great to hear that you like the story, but I'm not sure what's missing yet either. The best I can do is keep going and see it something pops up. Oh, and I did read that guide once I read the review, so I have at least a new resource to look back on if needed.**

**Without further ado...let's move on to Roland's first contact with the rest of the Strike Witches!**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 3: You're Not Alone (Part 1)**

_Last time, Lieutenant Roland Sage witnessed the death of Commander Hannah Ellios and destroyed the Neuroi responsible for her death. A week after what he called the _Ascension_ incident, he is scouted by Wing Commander Minna-Dietlinde Wilcke for the 501st Joint Fighter Wing, collectively known as the Strike Witches. Now a member of the wing, Roland has a few things to learn when it comes to life inside the base._

_Will Roland be able to survive his first few days?_

XXXXXXXXXX

It was the day after the ceremony that officially made me and one other Witch (a female) honorary members of the Strike Witches. Which was odd considering that I did have my part at the same time as the other Witch.

Actually, I should say somewhere in the very early morning. I think around 0100 hours, and the only reason I was thinking of that number was because I was up at that time.

For some reason I had dreamed of that very incident that killed Commander Ellios, and I felt that I was going to have that dream a lot.

I hadn't been too close to Hannah Ellios, as I stated, other than her being my commander while I was on the _Ascension_. It wasn't until during the funeral that I learned a bit about her: she had been one of the first Witches to fight the Neuroi (I think the first active Witch was Mio Sakamoto, a major who coincidentally was a part of the Strike Witches), and she had been a part of a group of teams that had tried keeping Gallia safe from the Neuroi. While that failed, her squadron had managed to try their best to escort as many people as possible to safety.

I fell back asleep, though it was only a light sleep. Sadly, I was woken up at about 0455 when I thought I heard something.

I got up and walked up to the window, opening it and letting the air flow into the room. I stuck my head out a little and breathed deeply. I could feel a little relieved as I looked out at the sea. The salty air really did something for me, as I leaned a little more out the window.

I stopped myself before I did something I would regret and pulled myself back into the room. I wasn't trying to unconsciously die, was I?

I was disturbed by some voice that sounded jealous or something.

"Ergh, that is not okay!" she said.

Slightly irritated that the comment had interrupted my peace, I walked up to the wall at the head of my bed. Forming a fist with my right hand, I knocked on the wall.

KNOCK KNOCK.

"Hey, can you keep it down please?" I asked the voice.

After saying that, I lied back down and got a little more sleep.

XXXXXXXXXX

Sometime later, I was walking over to where I could eat breakfast when, not paying attention to where I was going while listening to my stomach growl, I accidentally bumped into someone. The reaction I had was to grab the person's shoulders to keep them steady.

I soon looked at the Witch I bumped into. She was rather young, about fourteen if I had to take a guess, and her attire was odd. She wore what I could call a seaman's shirt that was probably one size too big; essentially, a white long-sleeved uniform with blue cuffs, blue on the edge of the bottom of her attire, and a blue collar. She had brown eyes and what I could call auburn hair that was short. Underneath all that was a dark blue one-piece swimsuit.

"Sorry!" she said as soon as she got a look at me.

"It's alright," I told her. "I wasn't really paying attention. You okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

As I let go of her shoulders and she backed up, I was aware of someone behind me. Turning around quickly, I saw that it was none other than Minna.

"There you are, lieutenant," she said rather cheerfully. "I take it you got some sleep?"

"Hmm?" I asked. "Oh. Yeah, I did."

"Good to hear." Taking notice of the other girl, she added, "Oh, I see you ran into our other new recruit. Lieutenant, this is Yoshika Miyafuji. Miyafuji, this is Lieutenant Roland Sage, also known as the Ground Witch in case you know about that."

"The Ground Witch?" Yoshika asked.

Nodding my head, I said, "Yep. That's a nickname I got for the fact that I usually fought without a Striker Unit. Plus, I was in the non-Witch branch of the Liberion armed forces for a while."

"That's amazing!"

"Well, I'm glad you think that," Minna added. "We better get you introduced to the others. They're waiting for us in the briefing room."

"Right!" Yoshika said cheerfully.

"Yes, ma'am!" I told her as I saluted her.

XXXXXXXXXX

Soon, we were walking into the briefing room, and I was amazed at the turnout: it was one thing to see it on a television screen, but a whole new experience to _actually_ see it for yourself. I think the entire group was in here for this.

When we were comfortable with where we were standing at the front, Minna clapped her hands to get everyone's attention before saying, "Your attention please. Good morning. Quick announcement: if you hadn't met them yesterday, these are our new recruits. Major Sakamoto brought one from the Fuso Empire while the other one came from the United States of Liberion. This is Yoshika Miyafuji…"

"Thank you for having me," Yoshika added. "I'm looking forward to meeting all of you,"

"…and Lieutenant Roland Sage."

"Pleasure to meet you all…I guess," was all I said.

Hey, you try finding something good to say when you're staring at a room full of cute girls…though from my memory only three of them were within my age group of eighteen to twenty years of age.

"Miyafuji's rank is Sergeant, which makes her the same rank as you, Lynne, so do you mind helping her and Roland settle in?" Minna added.

The one named Lynne gasped before saying "Okay,"

Lynne had a white button-up shirt under a light gray vest. Both were covered by a black jacket. There was also a green tie around her collar. She had light tan hair with gray eyes. If I remembered correctly, she also had green and gray striped socks.

"Good," Minna said. "Now, all the documents, clothing, rank, insignia, and identification you need are in here." She gestured to two packages, each with a Walther PPK pistol.

Yoshika grabbed the Walther PPK off of what she assumed was hers and politely handed it back to Minna, insisting that she didn't need a gun. I simply handed mine back with the fact that I was already in the possession of a Browning HP.

After this, Mio chuckled and made a comment about us being fascinating to watch, something I agreed with mentally. We have a girl who doesn't like the fact that she has to handle a gun right now and a guy who can foretell the future of this group a lot better than most people, though I can't be certain of anything now.

Suddenly, one girl stood up, shouted "That's it!" in irritation, and stormed off while everyone (including me) watched. She had on what I would consider a blue military jacket with a white scarf tied under her collar. She had on glasses with oval-shaped lenses, had blond hair that reached down to her shoulders, and what I could only assume were hazel-colored eyes. She was one of the oddballs of the groups, having a pair of black tights covering her panties and legs.

"Well," Minna remarked, "I certainly wasn't expecting that to happen. I guess individual introductions will have to wait 'til later. You are now dismissed."

Everyone who was at a table stood up, and I looked at each of them.

Why did I suddenly have a feeling this was going to be a trying experience for me?

XXXXXXXXXX

As if having predicted it, I instantly backed away from Yoshika as the latter began having her breasts touched by a girl with black hair and aquamarine eyes. She wore a white long-sleeved jacket, and she had blue-and-white striped panties on.

"So?" another girl asked as she put her left hand on the podium that was nearby and leaned in a bit. She had what I could consider a brown jacket on with a light yellow collared undershirt and a green tie. Her blue eyes seemed to match her hair color naturally, which was orange.

"Consolation prize," the girl checking Yoshika personally replied.

"H-hey!" I shouted quickly, that familiar blush on my face. "Can you give a guy some warning before you do things like that?"

As if no one heard me, a third girl said, "Lynne's are so much bigger."

I snapped my head to her. She had a sky-blue jacket (my approximation), light silver hair, and purple eyes. She wore gray tights and was grinning at the other sergeant.

The one named "Lynne" could only blush in embarrassment as she leaned in and put her head low.

The orange-haired girl laughed, making me return focus on her as she said, "You could never compete with this," while lifting her breasts slightly.

If all this didn't make me blush madly before now, I was really doing it this instant. I also gave myself a face palm.

Yoshika was also shocked by this, holding her own pair as the girl behind her yawned.

"Hi there," the orange-haired girl said after a while, extending a hand. "My name's Charlotte Yeager. I'm a flight lieutenant from the United States of Liberion. But you can call me Shirley."

"Hi," Yoshika said as she and I shook one of her hands each. Unfortunately, both of us felt our hands getting a tight grip from Charlotte's, though I was having an easier time withstanding it. Especially as I had just come out of training.

After the handshake, Charlotte added, "You need to eat more if you expect to get bigger."

"Oh boy…" I groaned as Yoshika and I watched the young girl from earlier place her head on Charlotte's chest as she hugged the lieutenant, yawning and saying, "I'm bored."

"I'm Eila Ilmatar Juutilainen," the girl who referred to "Lynne's" breasts as being bigger than Yoshika's said as she held up her sleeping comrade. "Suomos Air Force Ensign. This is Sanya Litvyak, an Orussia Army Lieutenant."

The sleeping girl being held by Eila had deeper silver in her hair than Eila herself, and she wore a white jacket with what he could call a dark gray strapless vest attached to it. There was also a skirt attached to the uniform, and Sanya had dark gray tights on her legs.

"Uh…hi," I said, smiling slightly.

The girl hugging Charlotte took some time to look at us and add in, "Francesca Lucchini, Romagna…"

Honestly, I lost her somewhere, but when I picked the sentence back up I knew that she was an ensign.

"I'm pleased to meet all of you," Yoshika said as she bowed.

I simply gave a thumbs-up as I added in, "I might get used to everything around here."

Mio, who stayed behind to monitor the conversation, said, "Alright, that's enough of the introductions. Time to get ready for duty. Lynne, Sage, and Miyafuji will begin training this afternoon."

"Aye-aye, major!" I said as I saluted.

"Ma'am!" Yoshika replied as she stood tall.

"Excellent response." Mio said to the little Fuso Witch before turning to face "Lynne". "Lynette, begin by showing Miyafuji and Sage around the base."

Lynette, as she was called just now, looked up and said, "Uh, yes ma'am. Okay."

Yoshika and I approached Lynette as she stood up and came up to us.

"I'm Yoshika Miyafuji," Yoshika told her as she walked up to our guide.

"Roland Sage," I said calmly as I joined her.

"Thank you so much for helping us."

Lynette blinked briefly before saying, "It's my pleasure. My name's Lynette Bishop."

XXXXXXXXXX

The first place we went to was the kitchen and dining hall, and boy was Yoshika excited.

"This is the kitchen and dining hall," Lynette informed us. "As far as cooking goes, we have a main cook. However, we sometimes get everyone to make their own ethnic cuisine."

"Cool," I said. I was actually going to like it here.

As Lynette and Yoshika entered the kitchen itself, I stayed behind and looked at the table. It was large enough to accommodate about twelve people, which was perhaps the entire wing. It also looked rather…unique, with the candlesticks and all that. Plus, there was a set of lights on the ceiling.

Yep, I was actually going to enjoy it here.

Looking at the table suddenly reminded me of the people I left behind in my world. I wasn't too sure if I could ever return there, but maybe my experience with fan fictions where people insert themselves into a strange world they know about could be of use here.

Anyways, I think I was thinking a little too long, for I was snapped out of my thoughts by Lynette, who had grabbed me by my right shoulder gently.

"Lieutenant Sage," she said. "You alright?"

"Huh?" I asked as I turned to face her and Yoshika. "Oh yeah. I'm totally fine. Just thinking, that's all."

"Thinking of what?"

"It's…it's nothing." I shook my head. "Can we move on please?"

Lynette nodded. "Sure, Lieutenant Sage."

XXXXXXXXXX

Next was the spa, which was odd for two reasons: one was the fact that, if I remembered correctly, it was originally for girls; the other was what Yoshika and I saw inside there.

Apparently Charlotte had decided to relax in there, and well…

I think you can figure out the rest.

After that was the shooting range, where Mio and that girl that stormed out were around. I don't think the girl liked Yoshika a whole lot, I'll tell you that. Now if only I could remember her name…

XXXXXXXXXX

We were standing under a tree as we watched a group of photographers taking snapshots of a girl with short blond hair and gray-blue eyes. She wore a black uniform jacket that was buttoned up all the way, with a light gray collared shirt underneath. Near her was a dark-brown-haired girl with brown eyes. This girl wore a gray jacket with a black ribbon tied around her collar.

"Hey," I said, pointing to the one getting photographed. "Who's that?"

"Lieutenant Hartmann," Lynette replied as she bit into a hamburger (we had decided to get some lunch since we weren't too busy). "Her shoot-down count just hit two hundred recently."

"Two hundred?" Yoshika asked quickly. "That's amazing!"

"Captain Barkhorn, next to her, shot down two-fifty, and Commander Minna's count is a hundred and sixty. Without them around, we would have lost this place to the Neuroi long before you two came."

"You guys sure have been around a while," I added. "I'll give you that…"

"Not only that, they have special magical abilities and are protecting many people's homelands at the same time. Witches are really amazing, huh?"

I looked at Lynette. "I guess they are. I have a lot of catching up to do then."

"I guess so. Come on." Lynette gestured for us to follow her. "I've got one more location to show you two."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Whoa," was all I could say as we looked out at the view that was at the top of the base.

"This is the highest point," Lynette informed us.

"So this entire island is _the_ base?" Yoshika asked.

Lynette nodded her head. "Correct. We're right off the Strait of Dover. Looks rather small from this distance. And…" Lynette pointed to our right, and we looked at the direction indicated. "…if you look there, you can see Europe. Unfortunately, the Neuroi have most of it under their control."

I was sad as I thought about the situation.

_I have no home here?_ I thought to myself. _I should be more concerned for those who have no home to return to._

"Very well…" I said finally as I nodded my head. "I promise I'll do whatever it takes to help you guys free all of Europe from the Neuroi."

Lynette smiled slightly before asking, "You're the Ground Witch everyone's been talking about, right?"

"Yeah. How did you know about that?"

"I have a few friends out there somewhere. One of them worked with you during the _Ascension_ incident."

I blinked. "Lieutenant Kayley Nova?"

When Lynette nodded in agreement, I was struck dumb: I was working with a friend of Lynette and I didn't even know? Then again, where did Kayley come from?

XXXXXXXXXX

"Now, the next thing we need to do is get you trained in the Striker Unit equipment."

Such were the words of one Mio Sakamoto as we started on our training regiment with the Striker Unit. We were standing in the hangar, near someone's Striker Unit.

"Uh, major?" Lynette asked quickly. "How is Roland going to train in the use of a Striker Unit?"

"Commander Minna already told me of his Striker Unit," Mio stated. "He'll show you what it is when we start."

"Major Sakamoto," a familiar voice said.

I saw the same girl from before, the one that stormed out of the briefing room, enter the hangar.

"Permission to assist our new recruits?" the girl said with a slight smile.

"Permission granted, and may I say I am impressed," Mio praised. "Good to see you're volunteering your time."

The girl looked slightly embarrassed before saying, "Well…I'm happy to help, and I figured that it might be easier to work in pairs."

_Or a trio in this case..._ I thought to myself.

"Good thinking, Perrine," Mio replied.

We looked at Perrine, who started to introduce herself: "I'm Perrine Clostermann, lieutenant of the Free Gallia Air Force. I've been under Major Sakamoto's care for a very long time now. You should know that you're very lucky to have me accompanying you."

"Oh, thank you so much," Yoshika thanked as she bowed. "I promise to do my best."

I simply nodded.

Perrine simply huffed and turned her head away from Yoshika.

Somehow I found myself glaring at Perrine. I wasn't exactly sure I was liking where this was going to go…

"Alright," Mio said quickly. "Everyone, get into your Striker Unit."

"Roger!" we all said.

I was the first one to enter mine, though I couldn't exactly call it "entering". More like "creating" the Striker Unit around my legs.

It looked like today was the day I would find out how much I needed in training.

XXXXXXXXXX

Around sunset, Yoshika and Lynette were lying on the ground, panting in exhaustion. Perrine, Mio, and I touched down softly near them, me panting slightly. The Striker Unit really expended my energy quickly, but endurance training was paying off a little.

"Worn out already, Miyafuji?" Mio asked Yoshika. "Well, it's your first day. That's to be expected, though I didn't think your magic control would be that sloppy. You need to work on your baseline stamina too." Turning to me, she added, "Sage, your stamina's fine, but based on what the commander told me your magic control needs some work, especially your barrier."

"And I suggest that you start working on these things right away," Perrine added in. "Otherwise, you'll continue to be a nuisance." Perrine turned her head and added, "Honestly, I think you'll be better off going home."

That last comment earned her a glance from me. I did not just get thrown into an alternate version of Earth and given these powers to be told that I would be better off going home by the likes of Perrine...did I?

Mio chuckled and said, "She's a novice, Perrine. This is her first day. Don't be so hard on her."

Wait, what about me? Man who received his powers about four months ago standing here...

Perrine mentioned something about perfecting a combat technique, and soon Mio and Perrine flew off, leaving me to watch over the tired sergeants after the major told them that they were done for the day.

Just to try making the barrier stronger, I focused until I could see the blue magic circle in front of me. There were a bunch of foreign letters around the edge, and three smaller circles were orbiting it around the edges, their centers following the bigger circle's circumference.

However, I could only hold the barrier for three seconds before the drain from it forced me to lower it. The action left me panting harder.

Deactivating the Striker Unit around my legs, I fell onto the runway chest first, panting hard. I propped my arms under me and pushed off so that I was on my hands and knees.

Mio was right: magic control was going to need a lot more work. But how much? And how long do I have before something dangerous pops up, given that the plot will probably deviate from the original at some point?

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**We've hit the end of the chapter.**

**Sorry for the cliffhanger, but I wanted to simulate the anime with the breaks set in. Part 2 will be up next, so don't fret.**

**Please read and respond. Thanks.**


	4. You're Not Alone (Part 2)

**Here it comes: the second part of "You're Not Alone".**

**Before we go into the chapter, let me take some time to respond to the reviews:**

_fuji92_**: About that incident at the spa...I guess using the anime may help you understand what Roland saw (considering that he was with Yoshika and Lynette during the tour, as well as his reactions so far to awkward things). Oh, and sorry if it was short. As I said at the end, I wanted to simulate the anime in this story. Besides, something about it being close to 9,000 words for the first chapter that covers the anime's events didn't sit too well for me, I guess.**

**Anomynous: Thanks.**

**Well, that's that for the reviews.**

**Now, it's time for the second half of the episode...**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 4: You're Not Alone (Part 2)**

"This…is…getting…rather…painful…" I grunted as I performed a round of push-ups, with Francesca on my back. To my irritation the girl had decided to take a nap on me, leaving me to make sure she didn't fall off before she could wake up.

That was about thirty minutes ago.

How I managed to even make it that long was unclear. Maybe it was the fact that I was willing to deal with the torture, or was it the abuse? Then again, I had to do a lot of push-ups in training. Maybe that's why I'm lasting this long?

"Man," Charlotte said as she sat a few feet away while watching me. "You're certainly holding yourself well today." The way she said it made me think she was considering whether it was cool or odd that I had gone about thirty minutes without a break. Does she not know how much pain my arms are going through?

"Can…we…can…it…please?" I growled slowly as I worked past the half-hour mark.

However, today that was my limit, and I landed on my chest. The good news was that Francesca was light, though the girl still hurt when her weight fell on me.

"Tell me again why I'm doing push-ups _this_ way?" I asked between coughs.

"It's supposed to be somewhat better for you, I guess," Charlotte told me. "Besides, it doesn't hurt to do a few push-ups every once in a while."

Sure it does...Why me?

I glanced at my watch, which said that the time was about 1200 hours. Noon, in laypeople's term.

"Lieutenant Sage?" we could hear Minna say from outside the hangar, which was where my training was occurring currently.

"Yeah, Commander Minna?" I asked as Francesca, after waking up due to the sudden change in velocity, got off of me and I stood up onto my feet.

"You up for a few flight lessons from Erica?"

"Um…yeah. Could I get something to snack on first, ma'am?"

"Sure, lieutenant."

XXXXXXXXXX

Apparently, my training with Erica, who was Lieutenant Hartmann when I first saw her, was involving using the fact that I had to avoid paint bullets flying past me as I worked on my magic control as well as combat skills.

Speaking of magic control, I barely managed to raise my barrier in time to avoid a hail of orange paint bullets from Erica. However, she was smart enough to fly over me, making me strafe to the right to avoid more bullets.

As the lieutenant spent some time reloading her MG 42, I took the liberty of grabbing my BAR and firing it at her. However, I think she foresaw that, for she set up her barrier as she strafed to the left. The sad part was that I had to reload as well, something that almost went badly for me: as I was reloading, Erica fired at me. This action forced me to put up my barrier, though I could see it flickering due to the fact that I wasn't really focusing on it. Thinking on the fly, I flew up just as the barrier dropped and I finished my reload. I was soon followed by Erica, who had to reload her gun again.

Flying ahead, I turned onto my back and flew like that so that I could see Erica's path.

Suddenly, I could feel something nagging at the back of my mind. Blinking, I aimed to my right as Erica suddenly flew in that very same direction. Thinking fast, I fired at her, but she was anticipating that action: she raised her barrier as I ran out of ammo in the current clip.

"Dammit…" I said as I placed the next clip in after taking out the spent one.

This gave Erica time to fire at me, and I barely moved to the left in time to avoid a rain of orange bullets.

Then, I got this urge to try something I remembered from a game I played before. I decided to arc my back backward to get the Striker Unit to fly downward. After I ended up flying with my back up, I turned back over and fired a few rounds at the lieutenant. However, at that point, the BAR decided to jam, and I tried to clear it quickly. Between putting up a barrier to avoid Erica's bullets and clearing the jam, I had to settle for setting the rifle on my back and grabbing my Browning HP, which had also been loaded with paint rounds. Repeating the same maneuver as before, I fired a few rounds into Erica's barrier. As she was gaining on me, I did something I wasn't too sure of: I arced my back forward in the air, going over Erica and firing at her back as I finished the maneuver. I'm not too sure if I hit, but she managed to turn around and, before I could form a barrier to protect myself or dodge it, fired her gun at me.

The result? My Striker Unit was covered in orange paint, as was my vest and shirt. I think one also splashed in my face, as I had to spit out some paint-filled saliva.

"Man…" I said as I realized that the exercise was over.

Erica flew over to me and decided to make a few observations.

"Well," she said. "You look rather good in orange, I guess. Anyways, your barrier control is getting a little better, and I think you're getting the concept of flying a lot more than before. There is something I want to point out: sometimes you'll have to use your magic, so don't be afraid to use it. Other than that, I have a few questions: how did you foresee me going to your right near the middle of the battle?"

"Huh?" I asked, confused. Then I remembered the feeling. "Well, something was nagging at the back of my head, so I kinda…aimed at it. It's hard to explain."

"And why did you switch your guns?"

"Well, you try clearing a gun when it's jammed and you're being shot at without strong protection. Besides…" I noticed a small green splotch of paint on one of her Striker Unit's fins. "I think I hit you first."

"Huh?" She looked at the very spot I saw and smiled slightly. "Okay, you got lucky. You're not really bad at your aim, though you need to remember to aim a little ahead of your enemy. Plus, one bullet, unless it hits a weak spot like the Neuroi's core, won't be enough. That's all I've got for today."

"Yes, lieutenant."

"You know..." Erica flew behind me. "We're of the same rank. You can drop the rank."

"Uh, sure...Hartmann."

XXXXXXXXXX

Later on, during the night, Yoshika and I were sitting on the edge of the runway, each of us thinking about everything we needed to improve on. The ocean was doing the same thing it always did: waves after waves of water going by and crashing against the shore.

"Sergeant Miyafuji? Lieutenant Sage?" I heard Lynette ask.

Yoshika and I turned our heads to see Lynette standing there.

"Hi, Lynette," Yoshika said cheerfully.

I simply nodded.

Soon Lynette was sitting between me and Yoshika as we continued to watch the sea.

"Hey, um…" Lynette said shyly. "You found my favorite spot here."

"We did?" Yoshika asked. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yes."

We remained silent for a while until Yoshika said, "I got in trouble again. I need to try harder."

"I'm a little jealous of you, Miyafuji," Lynette told her.

Yoshika looked at Lynette. "But why?"

"Your ability to keep trying harder and not give up."

"Wow, that's exactly what it says on my report card."

_Report card?_ I asked myself as I looked at the Fuso Witch.

"I don't think there's anything good anyone can say about me. I just don't belong here." Lynette said.

Yoshika gasped. "That's not true, I saw you. You're amazing!"

After processing that comment from Lynette, I added, "You've been here longer than us. There has to be something good about you."

Lynette dropped her head and shook it negatively. "No, I'm not really. Believe me."

"Come on, yes you are." Yoshika said as a reply.

"Only during training. During actual fighting, I'm a failure. I can't even fly."

"But if you can do it during training—"

"I know it's hard for you to believe because you're good at everything, but I'm not you!" In shock at what she just said, she added in a sorry tone, "I'm sorry about that."

Lynette stood up and ran off before Yoshika could even stand up.

"Lynette, wait!" Yoshika said quickly.

Standing up, we looked at each other.

"I don't think Lynette's feeling okay," I said.

Something inside me said that someone was watching us.

I could sense a sort of negative aura around Lynette as she ran, something I was feeling as well, though not as myself...

XXXXXXXXXX

The sirens rang loud and clear, making me wake up in a sweat.

"Oi," I said as I rubbed my eyes and sat up. "An attack already?"

XXXXXXXXXX

Strangely enough, the group heading out to defeat the Neuroi were Mio, Charlotte, Francesca, Erica, Perrine, and Barkhorn. The rest of us were staying at the base in case something happened out there.

"Wow, look at them go!" Yoshika said as we were watching the others fly toward the Neuroi.

"Yeah, it's great…" Lynette said with a touch of sadness.

I felt that same aura from last night, this time stronger than before.

"Like aircrafts taking off," I noted.

Yoshika looked at Lynette then me. "Is there anything we can do to help?"

"Maybe you can, but I'd just get in the way," Lynette said simply before turning around and running off.

Yoshika watched Lynette run off. "Where are you going?"

"I'll talk to her," I offered as I followed the sergeant into the base.

Soon, I followed her to her room and waited until the door closed before trying to talk to her.

Knocking on the door, I asked, "Lynette? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, lieutenant," I heard Lynette reply.

"I'm sorry to say it, but that's a complete load of crap. If you were fine you would have stayed there instead of running off. Why did you?"

"I don't wanna talk about it. Now go away."

I sighed. "Lynette, I don't solve things by leaving them alone. I solve them by helping. Now, whether or not you want to tell me your problem is up to you. Just note…" I raised my right index finger though I knew she couldn't see it. "…that I'm not budging from this area until you get your act together."

I waited in front of the door for a while, reading Lynette's aura. I could see blue intertwined with brown in the shape of Lynette's body behind the door.

"Roland!" I heard Yoshika say as she came up to me. "Is Lynette okay?"

"Hard to tell." I said quickly. "You wanna talk to her?"

Yoshika nodded, and I backed away to hear what the young girl had to say.

"Lynette?" she asked through the door. "I'm, um…I'm terrible at magic, plus I'm always in trouble. I can't fly, and I won't use a gun. What's more, I don't even care about fighting against the Neuroi. I just wanted to be in the Witches. I wanna be able to use my magic to help someone, even if it's just one person, but I hope it's not. Because…I wanna protect everyone. That's why I keep on trying, and that's why you should too, Lynette."

Just then, the sirens rang.

"Huh?" I asked.

"A Neuroi attack?" Yoshika asked in return.

"Afraid so. I think the one the others attacked was a decoy, and might I say it was a very good one indeed." I then shook my head. "Wait, what the hell am I saying?"

As if offended by what I said, Yoshika ran off.

"Hey, Yoshika, wait!" I shouted.

"I know what I have to do!" the girl replied.

Soon, I was alone in front of Lynette's door.

I sighed. Might as well...

"Lynette?" I asked. "I don't think you know this, but…when I was training in the army I had some days where I felt miserable that I couldn't do anything right. No matter what I did, I didn't really find any joy in it. Then I was transferred to the _Ascension_ for some Witch training. While I was there, I watched Kayley as she fought the Neuroi by herself, with me sniping from below. Somehow, I found comfort in one fact: Kayley was fighting to protect. I think I get it now. I have to fight for my reasons, and you need to fight for yours. So what if you're not any good? If you keep thinking that, you'll never amount to anything. Trust me, the only person you have to impress is yourself. So please…"

To my surprise, the door opened to reveal a more cheerful Lynette. I checked her aura and found some yellow in there. It wasn't enough to erase the blue or brown completely, but she looked cheerful.

"You really mean that?" she asked.

"Of course I do, Lynette," I said with a smile. "We're all on the same team, right?"

Soon, I received a hug from the sergeant. "Thank you, Lieutenant Sage."

"Um, you can just call me Roland. I mean, we're all friends here right?" I know it was probably against the ideas of calling superiors by their first name, but then again I have this feeling that the Strike Witches wasn't a normal team to begin with.

Lynette nodded. "Where did Sergeant Miyafuji go?"

I focused and felt around the base, trying to pinpoint Yoshika's aura. Suddenly, in the area I think was the briefing room, I could feel a trio of auras: one was purple with a touch of black in there, another was yellow with some green in it, and the third was green with pink in it.

"I think I know where she is," I said as I refocused on the world. I was certain that my powers were only going through a basic stage.

I led Lynette to around the corner of the briefing room and listened on the conversation in there.

"…Not to mention the fact that you don't even _want_ to shoot a weapon," Minna said.

"I'll shoot to protect someone," Yoshika replied.

Lynette gasped.

"Miyafuji…!" she said to herself.

I nodded. People have to do what they feel is right, right?

"None of that matters, Miyafuji," Minna continued. "You're just not ready."

"But—"

Lynette decided to step out into view now.

"Then I'm going too!" she stated.

I stepped next to Lynette and added, "Same here. I won't back down from helping someone."

Yoshika turned to face us.

"Lynette…! Roland…!" she could only say.

"If you let us work together," Lynette continued, "then we'll be just as strong as one."

Minna looked at me, expecting an answer.

"If the sergeants are going, then I'm going as well," I told her. "I am not sitting out this time."

Minna looked at us before saying, "You have ninety seconds to get ready."

"Roger!" the three of us (Yoshika, Lynette, and myself) said as one.

I noticed Eila standing there as well. She was probably the third aura I read.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Looks like the enemy will be approaching at three o'clock," Minna said as she, Yoshika, Lynette, Eila, and I flew toward the field of battle. The commander and Eila were leading, Yoshika and Lynette following close behind. I brought up the rear, my Striker Unit buzzing as normal. We all had a few guns for this, Minna holding an MG 42. Eila held an MG 42 as well, and she had an M1931 submachine gun slung on her back. Lynette had a Bren on her back and a Mark One Boys anti-tank rifle ready to fire, and Yoshika held a Type 99 aircraft cannon in her hands. I had my equipment from before. "Eila and I will move up ahead. You three stay behind and provide back-up, okay?"

I couldn't help but notice the animal features on them: Minna had the ears and tail of a gray wolf while Eila had the ears and tail of a black fox. Lynette's ears and tail were from the Scottish Fold, and Yoshika's were from some breed of dog I'm not too sure about. I think it was a shiba inu, but don't quote me on that.

"Right," Yoshika said.

"Right," Lynette added.

"All set," I said quickly.

"All right," Minna replied. "We're counting on you."

As the two leaders flew ahead, Lynette asked, "Miyafuji?"

"Yes, Lynette?" Yoshika asked in return.

"I was actually really scared when we volunteered."

"I'm still really scared. I know this may sound strange, but I would have been more afraid if we had stayed behind and not done anything."

Lynette looked down a bit. "That's what I usually do."

Her Scottish Fold ears perked up.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

Lynette pointed straight ahead and replied, "Look! Over there!"

Yoshika and I looked ahead and saw explosions off in the distance.

The three of us stopped and floated there, our Striker Units keeping us up.

"Neuroi?" Yoshika asked.

"I'm afraid so!" Lynette replied.

"It's coming this way!"

Lynette panicked and readied her sniper rifle clumsily.

Yoshika looked at Lynette as she aimed at the Neuroi.

I simply checked my BAR to ensure that I cleared the jam from yesterday, which I did.

Just then, I squinted as I looked and caught the Neuroi doing something that looked very familiar: it decided to eject its lower half, increasing its speed.

_No,_ I thought to myself. _That's bad. It's acting like that Aparoid missile back in __**Star Fox Assault**__._

Lynette fired a round followed by a reload and another two shots. All of them missed their marks completely.

"I can't do it," she said quickly. "I can't hit it!"

"Yes you can," Yoshika replied. "It's just like in training."

Lynette looked at Yoshika. "It's taking everything I've got just to fly. I won't have enough energy to control my shots with magic."

"Fine, then I'll support you, okay? That way you can just concentrate on shooting."

Lynette watched as Yoshika flew under her. "What are you doing? Wait!"

Soon, Lynette was perched on Yoshika's shoulder, and the girl underneath was now flying for most of them. "See? Don't you feel more stable?"

"Um, well, yeah. Thanks."

"I'll help too," I said as I slung the BAR on my back, flew behind Lynette and grabbed her right arm with my right hand. My left arm curled around so that the left hand could grab a hold of the area her left hand was at, and I moved my right hand to where her right hand was.

"Bishop, Miyafuji, Sage," Minna radioed. "The enemy is heading in your direction. You're the ones we're counting on at this point. This is your moment."

Did I forget to mention that I was now the proud owner of a small headset in my right ear?

Lynette looked down the barrel once again as Yoshika replied, "Right!"

"Focus, sergeant," I told Lynette. "There has to be a shot you can make that can cause it damage."

The blond-haired girl must have calculated her shots to herself and realized something. "When I give you the signal, I'm gonna need you to shoot with me."

"Okay, you've got it!" Yoshika told her.

"Ready!" I said as I held the gun, allowing Lynette to aim the shots.

Soon, I felt my aura begin to extend, and somehow Lynette and Yoshika were surrounded by it. I think the aura I made was green.

A while passed before Lynette said, "Shoot now!"

The girls fired their guns, my hands and stance allowing Lynette to absorb more recoil for better aim. By the time they stopped, Yoshika had fired her gun for about six seconds and Lynette had fired off five rounds.

The Neuroi never got the chance to avoid them: the sniper rounds made it tilt upward slowly until the last shot ripped through the core, destroying it.

"Look at that!" Yoshika said as we looked at the spot where the Neuroi once was.

I let go of Lynette's hands and gun and flew back as I felt my aura retreat back into my body.

Lynette, in return, flew up and upside down to hug Yoshika. However, this proved to be bad for three things.

One, Yoshika ended up having Lynette's breasts in her face.

Two, I ended up seeing Lynette's white panties more clearly. This, combined with Yoshika's face's placement, made me turn away blushing.

"Miyafuji!" Lynette said cheerfully. "Did you see that? I did it! That's the first I've been of use to anyone! And it's all because of you! Thank you so much!"

Oh, and I didn't forget the third problem: it was that due to this, the girls ended up falling into the ocean. I ended up flying down to the water's surface and floating there, looking at the two girls as they resurfaced, laughing heartily.

"We're friends, aren't we?" Yoshika asked Lynette. "You can stop calling me Miyafuji."

"Then you can stop calling me Lynette," Lynette added cheerfully.

"'Kay! Lynne, right?"

"Yep. Thanks, Yoshika!"

Lynette hugged Yoshika again, and the poor girl once again found her new friend's breasts in her face. "Um…I…I can't breathe!"

"Okay, you two," I coughed as I noticed Minna and Eila flying toward us. "I think it's high time we get going."

XXXXXXXXXX

After that, Lynette (or Lynne, as Yoshika and I call her now) began showing a more cheerful side.

Of course, after returning to base, I stuck around to hear everyone congratulate Lynette on destroying the Neuroi with Yoshika's help as well as mine.

However, there were a few matters to attend to, one of them being that green aura I projected.

I had to figure out this answer from Yoshika and Lynette the next day as they were cooking.

"Hey, you two," I said as I leaned on the counter and watched them cook. "Something's been bugging me about yesterday. That green aura...did it...?"

"Hmm?" Lynette asked as she looked at me. "Oh, that? What do you mean?"

"Did it...feel odd or something...?"

"Well, I think it made me feel calm..." She nodded in agreement. "Yeah. I felt calmer than before it appeared." Turning to Yoshika, she asked, "What about you, Yoshika?"

"Oh, the same thing, I guess..." Yoshika stated.

I shook my head and earned a few smiles from the girls.

So far, offensive capabilities were lifting things, and now I could say that I have a supportive role now: using my aura to adjust how my teammates feel. That, and the fact that I'm now reading auras and sensing them.

What else is going to await me in this world?

XXXXXXXXXX

_Roland: Next time on **Strike Heroes**..._

_Gertrud: What are you doing, Sage?_

_Roland: Oh, Captain Barkhorn! I was just..._

_Gertrud: What are you doing with this radio?_

_Roland: Um...Doing something?_

_Gertrud: ...I see. You feeling alright after what happened?_

_Roland: Uh...well...See, that's kinda what I wanted to hint at..._

_Gertrud: Who are you trying to give the hint to?_

_Roland: Uh, are we breaking the fourth wall for the preview?_

_Gertrud: Huh?_

_Roland: Never mind!_

_Gertrud: *sigh* Next time: **Thanks...**_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**There we go! The next chapter of "Strike Heroes".**

**I might be toeing the line between Gary Stu and a normal character at this point. If I am, let me know so that I can re-consider how Roland is presented. Hopefully, though, he's not, so we should not see anything wrong.**

**Oh, and I hoped you liked some of the training Roland went through. At first, I thought about having him be with Yoshika and Lynette when Mio was training them, but then I decided to torture Roland a little. It may make some sense, but I don't think Roland was too thrilled to have gone through a variation of doing push-ups the way he had.**

**Other than that, please read and respond.**


	5. Thanks (Part 1)

**Hello, and welcome to Chapter 5 of "Strike Heroes".**

**Now, let's start with covering the reviews:**

_Cabbage cabrera_**: Thanks for the comments about liking what was in the story so far. It's nice to hear that Roland isn't a Gary Stu, but one still can't be too laid-back when he or she hears it. As for the knowledge Roland has, it's useful for him since he can reasonably expect something to happen. However, as he has to constantly remember, the problem with being in a world that is already established is that even one small detail can have the power to throw the entire story off in a new direction. Something he has noticed (Minna and Ellios's promise to each other, Lynette and Kayley being friends...those are just to name the current ones).**

_fuji92_**: About the line concerning Yoshika and what she should call Lynette, the best I can offer as an explanation is that Minna referred to the Britannian Witch as "Lynne" in Chapter 3 and then "Bishop" in the last chapter. As Lynette said something about calling her by "Lynette", the best Yoshika probably thought about was "Lynne". Though I have to agree with you on the fact that she should probably have called Lynette by her last name. If someone has a better explanation for that detail from the anime, please let me know.**

**As for the reading of people's emotions...I had looked up the idea of aura reading when I was developing Roland and was rather intrigued that auras could give an approximate clue as to someone's feelings. Of course, I'll have to refer back to the page I found concerning it, but it compliments his knowledge to a degree. Though unless he gets some training in telling what emotions each color could represent and then using a person's current actions to arrive at a good idea of what the person feels like, he can only examine the color and arrive at a conclusion by himself. For magical signatures, Roland wouldn't really know where to start as far as doing something like that, even if he has an idea of what each Witch's powers are.**

**There's the reviews portion...**

**Now it's time to continue the story.**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 5: Thanks (Part 1)**

_Last time, Roland met the remaining Witches, and he and Yoshika helped Lynette shoot down her first Neuroi. With his first battle having been concluded, Roland found himself befriending the two girls. However, his current situation was about to get crazier...once he woke up from a dream he was having..._

XXXXXXXXXX

"Uh…Commander Minna…mmph…You're so…mmm…"

I flashed my eyes open and sat up, rubbing them as I did so.

Geez, that was a strange thought to be having. Especially as it's been about two weeks since I joined the Strike Witches.

Come to think of it, that was the first erotic dream I had about the commander.

"I have got to lay off the thinking," I muttered to myself as I looked at my sleepware. It was the fatigues and shirt I wore on the morning of the _Ascension_ incident.

"What time is it?" I asked myself as I looked at the watch, which I made a habit of keeping on my wrist except when showering.

When I read it, I was shocked. "Eight-thirty? I'm gonna be late for breakfast!"

Hastily, I slid out of my clothes, changed my underwear, slid on my white shirt, vest, and cargo pants, put on a clean pair of socks over my feet, and put on my black trainers. I then had to clamber out of the room adjusting my shirt and vest and making sure I had my pant pockets not inside-out before power-walking toward the dining hall.

Yeah, I know...you're probably wondering why I was in such a hurry to get to the dining hall. See, for a while now, Yoshika and Lynette had been cooking us breakfast whenever the cook didn't have time or something to do it. Then again, I don't blame the guy...or girl: there were other people on this base besides the girls and myself. As far as what Yoshika and Lynette cooked, it was rather...interesting: Lynette knew how to make some classic meals for breakfast, and Yoshika, being of a medical-oriented background, always found something healthy to add to the meal. Then again, I'm kinda glad they're cooking the meals; Mio cooked for us once, and Yoshika and I were probably the only ones who didn't pay attention to the fact that the others' faces showed that said meal (I have no idea what it was supposed to be) wasn't exactly healthy. Personally, I felt a little queasy after eating it. When I looked at Mio a while after eating the mystery meal, I noticed that she didn't seem to care about the taste. I asked her about it later on when I had a chance to speak with her in private. Her answer: she said something about not really caring...as long as it was edible.

Incidentally, I ran into Minna as I was going, and boy was I embarrassed. I wasn't too sure about talking to her right now…

"Morning, lieutenant," Minna said with a smile.

I think she had that same smile in my dream…and I'm not even going to think about it!

"Morning," I bleated sheepishly, that blush returning to my face.

Minna looked at me and asked, "You okay this morning?"

"Uh, yeah! Heh heh, I was just remembering a dream, that's all…" D'oh!

"That's nice to hear at least," the commander told me. "I'm sure you'll clear up in no time."

"Thanks." was my reply before walking away with a wave of my hand.

I could feel Minna following me, so I slowed down just enough to let her walk beside me.

I am so glad no one here has the power of mind-reading…I hope.

"Hey, lieutenant?" Minna asked me as we walked. "Are you interested in learning about your aura reading?"

"Huh?" I asked her in return. "Why are you asking?"

"I just thought about it...you have no prior training with your magic, so I figure that I can help you in that department."

I blinked. "What do you mean?"

Soon, Minna and I were talking about the auras I had been seeing as well as explaining to me what some of them meant compared to the person I saw with said auras.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Yoshika!" Lynette said as the duo cooked up some food. "Did you hear? They're having Koaba Base mobilized for a missing child. Isn't that wonderful?"

"I didn't know they did operations like that here," Yoshika replied. "That's really cool of them!"

"Ah. And to think it's all because of one child." Lynette held her hands close to her chest, with the ladle's serving end pointing up.

Yoshika smiled. "Of course. How can we save a country if we can't help one person? It's such a beautiful statement it makes me proud to be here."

Lynette turned to look at Yoshika. "Yeah, I agree."

"Same here," I added from behind the counter, which had a lot of bowls and cups. "I mean, anything to help others, right? Doesn't make sense to help everyone if you can't help someone."

In case you're wondering, ever since the three of us dealt with that Neuroi from about two weeks back, the Fuso Witch and the Britannian Witch had been happy to see my face, especially Lynette considering what I had told her. I mean, neither one were really that bad: you had to deal with Lynette's occasional act of clumsiness (followed either by something that nearly burned me getting close, something messy that splashed all over my clothes, or something that could happen as a result of her act. Luckily, the stains are rather easy to clean off) and also Yoshika's almost-innocent attitude (not that I mind; according to what she told me, she hadn't been a part of the army when Mio picked her), but they were rather nice...

"You can't save everyone," We heard a voice behind us say. Well, behind _them_; it was on my left.

The two girls cooking turned around (while I simply turned my head to the left) to find Captain Gertrud Barkhorn, who was probably busy placing cups onto saucers for all I know. The only reason I knew her full name was because I had read it somewhere, and besides it gets boring referring to her as "Barkhorn". Right?

"No matter what you do, someone always gets left behind," Gertrud continued.

Yoshika stopped what she was doing and ran up to Gertrud. "Wait, what do you mean?"

"Nothing." Gertrud grabbed her tray (she was actually readying her tray) and turned around to walk off. "I was just talking to myself."

As we watched her walk off, I found myself thinking the following: _What's up with her again?_

Sighing, I grabbed my bowl and cup with a saucer and found a spot next to the commander, who was seated with Erica and Gertrud.

"Morning, Barkhorn," I said as soon as I remembered that I never told her that this morning. Looking at Erica, I added, "And good morning to you too, Hartmann."

Strangely enough, I had barely sat down when Francesca waved her hand and said, "I want seconds!"

"Coming!" Yoshika said quickly, and soon she was coming to the table with the pot.

The young girl took notice of the fact that Gertrud didn't really touch her food, and I did as well.

"Uh…" she started. "Oh no! I'm so sorry, did you not like it?"

Gertrud just stood up and cleaned her place as Yoshika and I looked at her. I was blinking in confusion.

There was a brief moment of silence before Francesca said, "Do I get seconds or not?"

"Huh?" Yoshika asked as she realized what she was originally doing. "Oh right! Of course you do! I'm very sorry!"

"Honestly, I can't say that I blame her," Perrine noted. "I mean, you've served us rotten beans. No one should have to eat that. Are you trying to poison us?"

"Not at all. Sakamoto said she liked it. It's just nattō, it's supposed to be good for you…"

Perrine had gotten upset at something and had walked up to Yoshika. Everyone else on the opposite end of the table looked at me as I gave off a visible green aura and looked at Perrine's aura. She had a green aura that, upon closer thought, didn't feel like Yoshika's green, which was more of a healing green. Hers felt like a jealous shade of green. That, and she had a slight flash of red. Anger, based on what she said next.

"Did you just call the major 'Sakamoto'?" Perrine asked her. "You shall address her as 'Major', got it? I don't even call her 'Sakamoto'. Well, not all the time. Of course, I mean…" At this point, Perrine wasn't too sure what to say for a bit, and I noticed that her red aura dimmed for a few seconds as I continued looking at her. Then she jumped back into full swing with a red flash as she added, "Whatever, it doesn't matter! I don't care if she likes it or not, this stuff is absolutely horrible, and you should never make this again."

At this point, Francesca was getting impatient, so Yoshika quickly got back to serving her while Perrine huffed.

"Taking it a little too rough, are we?" I growled as I cut off my aura reading.

"Well," Minna said as if she didn't hear the whole commotion. "Everyone's entitled to her opinion. Of course, for Roland it's his opinion."

"It's not that, Commander Minna. It's just…" I sighed quickly. "I don't feel very comfortable when my friends are being talked to like that, that's all." I ate and, to everyone's amazement, managed to finish it in only thirty seconds. "Mind if I have more, Yoshika?"

"Of course!" Yoshika replied.

As Yoshika managed to serve me faster than she did Francesca, Charlotte suddenly had a strange thought.

"Roland?" she asked me. "Where's your animal features? I mean, I just noticed it, but you didn't produce any when you used your magic."

"Huh?" I asked. That was a strange question to be asked. "Am I supposed to?"

"Well, it's just something odd about you. I mean, I think you're going to end up with a new nickname before long."

"New nickname?"

"Unfamiliar Witch?" Francesca tried.

"Like that," Charlotte said as a reply.

"Seriously?" I asked. "What's wrong with the Ground Witch one?"

"I don't think it can really apply right now. Not with you in the air now."

"Ha ha, very funny."

"Whether Roland has a familiar or not is not really important," Minna pointed out.

"Again," I decided to say. "I just learned about my powers about four and a half months ago. I didn't really put thought into getting a familiar."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Man," I said as I parried a blow from Mio's wooden sword. "This is getting intense."

Apparently, Mio noticed that I needed some training in swordplay, and while I didn't quite see the reason behind that I did have the sword with me. Though I was holding a wooden sword as well.

"Focus, lieutenant," Mio warned me before jumping over me and trying to aim for my back. Thinking quickly, I stepped ahead as I pivoted around to face her in time to parry her intended attack.

I stepped into her attacking range, grabbing Mio's left arm to keep her from attacking me.

Suddenly, I felt some sort of surge go through me, and I let go in pain. This gave Mio time to throw her left elbow directly into my face, sending me stepping backward before I could react to that blow.

"Don't try that again unless you want to get killed," Mio scolded me.

I don't think I actually paid attention to that; I think I spent more time tending to my right eye, which was aching all of a sudden as my hands flew up to cover it. My sword clattered to the ground quickly.

With my good eye, I could see Mio as she looked at me with a slight look of concern.

"Lieutenant, are you alright?" she asked me as she sheathed her weapon.

"I don't know," I said as I stood there.

Mio walked over to me and pulled my hands away from my face and was shocked.

"What?" I asked.

"You better look at this," she said as she unsheathed the katana and used it as a sort of mirror so I could see my face.

I was shocked as well: staring at me was me…but my right eye had suddenly turned purple. Well, the iris did, not the entire eye.

"What the hell happened?" I asked her as I looked deeper into the sword.

"I'm not sure, lieutenant," Mio said. "Did you feel anything…odd when you grabbed me?"

"Well…there was a surge of pain, but other than that…Hey, major, I can see in some sort of purplish negative."

Mio sighed. "I think I figured it out, lieutenant. Your body must have copied my magic for your use. Was there any other incidents like that?"

"Uh…no. This is the first time it's happened."

Suddenly, I watched as the eye returned to normal, which was brown. I blinked as soon as I saw this: I thought that you were only able to use powers you were born with. Why the hell did something like that happen? Then again, was it possible for a Witch to be able to copy others' magic?

"I see...Either way, your sword training is done for today. Oh, and the commander has something for you."

_I see?_ I asked myself concerning Mio's reply. _What the hell is that supposed to mean?_

XXXXXXXXXX

_**Dear Letter,**_

_**For some reason, I decided on starting a sort of journal using letters. I know: I don't have anyone to mail it to, and besides...why not buy a notebook or something? I just felt that I wanted to write about what was going on, and the best way I can think of is a letter; it's rather easy to hide, and if someone finds it then at least they won't know everything I wrote about.**_

_**Now, where should I start?**_

_**Oh yeah! I joined the Strike Witches about two weeks ago, and now I got my first paycheck. I dont' want to say how much, but when I asked Mio about it, she told me that I had enough to save up for a car from Liberion (I can't use America here; it doesn't exist here. Or, at least, not the name…) in about a year or two.**_

_**Of course, I went through some more training and am currently examining my teammates around the base. Especially with my aura magic.**_

_**My findings?**_

_**Mio and Minna are the two closest people to lead, though Minna is a commander. Mio's rather kind-hearted…as long as she's not training with you. I think…The tricky parts about them are the black I see inside Minna and the yellow-and-purple aura with Mio.**_

_**Lynette and Yoshika are rather cheerful, though I feel that Lynette (sorry, Lynne) is shy sometimes. I don't really need to say much about their aura.**_

_**Perrine? Well…that's a little difficult. She seems to have been rude to Yoshika, and I was also walking by when Minna gave them both a punishment because they had started arguing. I'm troubled by her jealous green aura. I can't seem to figure out why she's acting the way she is toward Yoshika, though I did look deeper when I was observing her. I found some splotches of blue and black. I'll have to ask Perrine about her past later or something to confirm what I'm thinking.**_

_**Francesca and Shirley (aka Charlotte)? Rather friendly and they're helping me with training. Though Francesca acts like a kid sometimes by napping at inopportune times, such as when she's lying on my back during push-ups. Francesca's aura seems to be a little hard to explain. Yellow's at least one color I can see in her. As for Shirley, I think I read yellow in there as well, though I think I see orange and gold in there as well.**_

_**Eila and Sanya? I rarely have seen them apart, though Sanya is usually being carried around by Eila. I guess they're that close, huh? Plus, I can't say too much about Sanya because the few times I do see her outside her room she's usually asleep and being carried around by Eila. It's not important to note Eila's currently, and I can't seem to read Sanya very well because every time I try to, Eila somehow knows that I'm trying to do it and stops me. I guess she doesn't want me getting too close to Sanya, and aura knowledge isn't something I'm going to get without practice.**_

_**Erica…I can read some orange and yellow mixed together. Maybe marigold if I think about it, but I'll stick with an orange-yellow color for now officially.**_

_**Gertrud? She's seeming like she's troubled by something, though what? That, and her aura—whew! Green, yellow and some red. There's some black in there, but I'm not sure. Maybe whatever's causing that black color is the problem she's having.**_

_**I guess I'll just write these letters for a sort of journal. At least until I actually go and buy one, if I actually decide to even get one.**_

_**Signed, **_**Roland Sage**

XXXXXXXXXX

I stretched as I walked down the hallway toward the kitchen during the night. I had woken up because it was rather hot around the base. I had to resort to taking off my shirt, though I had it slung on my right shoulder in order to keep it with me.

Luckily, no one else seemed to be up...well, not that I checked without my magic. It's odd having the power to lift things and yet being able to read auras.

Feeling bored, I decided to use my magic to see if anyone was actually up.

I picked up a being in the dining hall with yellow, green, red, and some black.

"Who has that color again?" I asked myself as I put on my shirt again.

I walked into the dining hall and found Gertrud sitting there, not really doing anything or drinking anything.

_Weird..._ I thought as I looked at her. She had her back to me, which was alright for a while. _Why's she up this late?_

"Captain Barkhorn?" I asked to catch her attention.

Gertrud turned around and looked at me.

"Lieutenant Sage," she said simply. "You're up still?"

"What are you talking about? I just got up for something to drink." I walked past her and entered the kitchen. A while later, I emerged with two cups of milk.

As I set a cup in front of her, Gertrud said, "I'm not thirsty, lieutenant."

"Thought you'd like something to drink, that's all," I told her as I took a seat next to her. "I didn't do anything to it, if you're thinking about that."

"Why are you really here?"

"What, don't want company?" I shrugged my shoulders. "I thought you'd want someone to talk to."

"I'm not in the mood."

"Okay, understandable..."

A few minutes passed by before I decided to drink some of the milk. When I pulled the cup from my lips, I looked at Gertrud, who was looking at me.

"What?" I asked her in defense.

"You have a..." Gertrud said simply.

I blinked before running my left hand across my top lip. I felt something wet on it, and when I examined it I realized that I had one of those "milk mustaches". "Ah. Thanks, captain."

"You know, I have a question for you."

"Shoot."

"No thanks. Anyways: what exactly do you see in Miyafuji?"

I blinked. "Miyafuji? Oh, _her_. Well, somehow she has this sense of protecting people along with helping them. I guess I just have the same ideals as her..."

Gertrud shook her head. "You can't protect everyone."

"I know. You said something about it during breakfast. Why are you thinking like that?"

"Because it's the truth, lieutenant. Someone will always be left behind, no matter what."

I frowned. "Now, that's not entirely accurate, you know...I think something happened to you that made you act like this. Is it Yoshika?"

"This conversation is over, lieutenant. You're dismissed for the night."

"Is it Yoshika, ma'am?" I sounded more forceful.

"I said you're dismissed."

I stood up, ready to snap at her. However I caught myself: what would I accomplish arguing with someone like Gertrud? She's a captain while I was just a lieutenant. "Alright, captain. I understand." I pushed my chair in, finished off the rest of the milk in my cup, went into the kitchen, rinsed it out, set it in the sink, and walked back into the dining hall briefly. "Just give Yoshika a chance, ma'am. She's a good person."

Without another word, I left the dining hall.

I really can't seem to tell if something entirely different was bugging the captain, but I wasn't going to worry too much about it, seeing as I had to get some sleep...

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**The next chapter has been finished.**

**Please read and respond.**


	6. Thanks (Part 2)

**I'm back, and so is the next chapter in "Strike Heroes".**

**Now, before we get into the story, I want to say a few things: firstly, this was probably one of the tougher chapters for me due to the fact that I was arguing with myself over how to end this particular episode coverage. A few days before this, I had finally gotten the idea, and I hope that it's fitting. However, I'll let you guys decide how it was.**

**Next, I wanted to say thanks to those who are currently following the story and reviewing it. Each review I read gives me some idea of how much work I may have to do to keep the story going. So once again, thank you.**

**Now, it's time to cover the reviews from the last chapter:**

_fuji92_**: Thanks for the review. Concerning Eila's overprotectiveness, I have to agree that Roland being a guy is a reason. However, to me that's not the only reason for it. However, that's all I've got to say about that right now. As for things being more than meets the eye...**

**Anyways, it's time for the next chapter to begin...**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 6: Thanks (Part 2)**

You know when you feel like one of those days in your life would make you feel a certain way for no apparent reason?

Well, it's a bit hard to explain, but somehow the next day I found myself wondering that.

Especially when I woke that morning.

I sat up, stretched my arms over my head, and set my right hand on the bed as my left hand rubbed my left eye.

_What am I doing today?_ I asked myself. _Some flight training? More push-ups? Run a few laps?_

Right, I should explain: in addition to learning how to pilot my Striker Unit, learning how to utilize my magic, and increasing my strength, apparently I also do some of the things Yoshika and Lynette do. Especially running.

Hey, I don't mind running. In fact, the military had a lot of running in their regiment...or at least they did in the days between me joining the military and me being assigned to Ellios's squad. I prefer swimming, though. Not in the bath (Are you nuts?).

Speaking of baths, considering the fact that I'm a guy I have been trying to get into the bath when people aren't around. So far, it seems to be working, but I can never be too careful. All I do is let my aura-reading portion of my magic loose, and I use that to keep an metaphorical eye out for any of the girls coming in for a bath.

Besides, sometimes I just want to relax for a while. Yeah, luckily I can hit the showers that the other men on the base use, but it gets a little too much when the conversations they have turn toward me and the other Witches.

...I'm rambling, aren't I?

Anyways, I realized that something was wrong when my right hand landed on something that didn't belong to me. Looking to my right and down, I noticed that there was a leg there, covered with gray tights.

_The hell...?_ I thought as I let my eyes flow up the leg to figure out who had ended up in my bed.

Let's see, let's see...I could make out some silver in the hair.

Everything stopped for me.

How in the...hell did she...get in here? Seriously, why was she in here?

Frantically, I picked the girl up bridal-style and was in the process of taking her to her room when bad luck decided to hit me: opening the door, I was soon greeted by Eila.

"Eila!" I shouted in surprise.

"Morning, Roland," Eila said. "You didn't happen to see Sanya, did you?"

It was only then that she noticed the girl I was holding: one sleeping Sanya Litvyak.

"Uh..." I started as I searched for something that would defuse the situation. "It's not what you think...?"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Morning, Roland," Yoshika said as I walked into the dining hall for breakfast. She then took a quick look again before adding in horror, "Oh my! What happened to your face?"

The reason why Yoshika was worried was because the Suomos Witch had slapped me across the right cheek. Judging by the fact that I was feeling light-headed currently, I would probably have to say that it was one of her anger-powered slaps. That, and the cheek was rather red.

"Just a misunderstanding," I told her as calmly as a person feeling light-headed could muster. I stumbled over to a chair and, pulling it out, sat down.

"Lynne, can you watch the food really fast?" Yoshika asked her cooking partner, one Lynette Bishop. When Lynette nodded in agreement, Yoshika walked up to me, pulled up a chair, sat in it, and turned to face me. "Now, let me look at it..."

"Don't worry about it," I tried telling her, but I don't think she was going to have any of it.

"Hold still, lieutenant," Yoshika told me quickly. She gently laid her hand on my right cheek, and my first response was to try pulling away. However, she somehow kept me still as her head came in a little to examine the redness. "It's going to take a while to clear up. How did you even get it?"

"Again, just a misunderstanding..." I didn't really want to tell her what happened to even earn me the red cheek. That, and it still stung.

"Well, whatever you did don't do it again, okay, silly?" She let go of me, and I pulled my head back quickly.

I glared at the Fuso Witch. "It's not like I asked for it, Yoshika..."

Yoshika gave off a pouty look, and my face instantly became a little messed up: my eyes were glaring at her in annoyance, but my mouth was growing a small smile.

XXXXXXXXXX

After two hours of a combination of running exercises with Yoshika and Lynette, combat training with Barkhorn, and lunch, I was busy practicing my barrier production in a clearing inside the forest when the day started looking dangerous: I could see short bursts of explosions in the sky.

"What the hell?" I asked myself as I activated my Striker Unit and flew into the air, avoiding trees as I did so. Why were there explosions going off in the air at this time?

Soon, I flew toward Mio, Gertrud, Lynette, and Yoshika, who were joined by Minna and Perrine a while before me.

When I managed to get there, I barely caught a location: Karlsland, something Gertrud made a slight response at.

"You alright, Captain?" I asked Gertrud as I was handed the Bren that Lynette had.

"It's nothing, lieutenant," she said in reply. "I'm ready for this."

Mio made Perrine Gertrud's wingman and had Yoshika become hers. Lynette and I joined Minna as her wingmen.

Soon, Mio sighted the Neuroi up ahead, and the orders were for Gertrud's squad to move in. Mio's squad was to cover them, and I was waiting for Minna's orders, which seemed to be this: attack.

I fired the Bren at the Neuroi as the others followed suit. There was one problem I was having: while I had trained in the use of the Bren, I never really liked the gun. It felt too…odd. The clip the gun was using had to be inserted from the top. Plus, as Lynette had to hand me the magazines when I needed to reload I found myself wondering where to actually press the button that released the magazine.

Suddenly, Minna stopped, forcing me and Lynette to follow her lead and float there.

"Something is definitely wrong," Minna said.

"Wrong, ma'am?" Lynette asked.

"With Barkhorn. I mean, she always keeps her wingman very close within her field of view. But for some reason she's trying to do it all by herself."

I blinked as I ran the information through my head. Gertrud had given Yoshika the cold shoulder at breakfast yesterday, and I found some black in her aura. Now, where was the connection again? Could be her younger sister, but I can't be certain...

"Okay, I think I get the idea," I said finally. "She's entering a sort of frenzy due to something. What's her connection to Karlsland?"

Minna ignored me, telling Lynette to focus fire on a certain point. She fired, and the Neuroi retaliated by firing its lasers, slamming into Gertrud's and Perrine's barriers.

"Back off, Barkhorn!" Mio said as she and Yoshika did just that slightly. "You're too close!"

Gertrud barely flew out of a laser's path, and it slammed into Perrine's barrier. The attack made her slightly disoriented and made her crash into Gertrud, though, and the captain was soon pelted by a laser shot before she could erect a proper barrier.

As Gertrud fell to the ground, three people were concerned for her safety more than the others, and everyone there were concerned.

"Captain!" Perrine cried as she followed Gertrud.

"Captain Barkhorn!" Yoshika added as she followed Perrine.

"Hang on!" I yelled as I flew down, making sure to make a barrier to keep the Captain Barkhorn Recovery Group safe from a laser.

Well, I may not be able to maintain a proper barrier currently, but I can sure as hell make one flash up when I need to. Plus, I was lucky to have popped one up when I did: the laser would have probably finished the job and killed off three of us, myself included.

Soon, Perrine and Yoshika caught up with Gertrud and managed to get her down to the ground safely, me catching up soon after. The girls laid her on the ground as I deactivated my Striker Unit and let my feet touch the ground.

"This is all my fault!" Perrine said as Yoshika opened up Gertrud's jacket. "What am I gonna do?"

I looked at the Gallian girl quickly. I was still irked at her attitude toward Yoshika, but we were a team, so I couldn't let my personal feeling s concerning Perrine get to me right now. Besides, it wasn't Perrine's fault Gertrud got hurt.

"Perrine, it's alright," I told her as I looked at her. "Don't beat yourself up over it."

"She's bleeding," Yoshika, who had been examining Gertrud's wound, said.

"I guess that's a no-brainer," I said quickly before looking at the sky. "The first problem we have is how long we can last against the Neuroi here. Those lasers can probably hit us from up there. Can we move her somewhere safe?"

"We can't move her. It'll only make it worse. I'm going to have to heal her here."

I opened my mouth to throw in a comment, but Perrine beat me to it.

"That's okay," Perrine said in reply. "Please just save her!"

Yoshika worked on healing Gertrud.

"Stay calm, Yoshika," the girl told herself as she worked. "You have to concentrate. You can do this."

Soon, a blue barrier formed around everyone except Perrine and myself, who stood there in awe. However, the Neuroi decided to fire at us, forcing Perrine to make a shield to protect us all. All I could do was kneel next to Yoshika and watch as she used her magic to heal the injured Karlsland Witch.

Gertrud opened her eyes and looked at Yoshika and me as the former healed her. I could see that something was troubling her about this situation, as she tried to move her hands.

"Hold still!" Yoshika advised. "I think it's working."

"What do you think you're doing?" Gertrud asked. "You have to get away from here or you'll put everyone else in danger. Go on, get out of here! There's no point in saving me, just forget about it! Use your powers on the enemy!"

"Stop talking like that!" I snapped, making Gertrud look at me in surprise. "I don't care why you want to die, that's not the way to go. You think dying's just going to solve everything? Well, it's not! Everyone goes through life not knowing when life throws you a screwball made of horrible crap, but if you just give up and die then you accomplish nothing! Think of those you'll leave behind! How do you think they'll feel?"

Gertrud looked at me. "What do you know of losing something? You haven't tried saving everyone. You haven't gone through the fact that you couldn't even save your own sister. How else are you supposed to understand?"

"_Because I do!_" Gertrud looked at me as I growled in a menacing way. "You think we're supposed to just give in to your request and let you die? That's not how I live my damn life! I don't care whether you believe me or not, but I know _exactly_ what it's like to lose someone. So trust me when I say this, Captain, but I _will_ protect everyone. Even if I die, I'm not letting anyone go down with me!"

Yoshika looked at me. "Roland…"

"I mean it! I'm not letting you end up like her! I'm not letting you end up like Commander Ellios!"

Gertrud's eyes widened. "Ellios?"

At this point, Perrine was barely holding the barrier steady as she covered for us, but it was slowly failing to work.

"I can't fight it off much longer!" she said.

"Yoshika!" I said.

The Neuroi fired off a powerful shot that pushed Perrine back. At the same time, Yoshika, exhausted from healing, fell to the ground chest first. I barely had time to use my magic to create a barrier as a follow-up laser came into view.

BOOM!

When the dust from the collision cleared, I fell to the ground on my back and watched as Gertrud got back up, her twin MG 151s quickly entering her hands.

"Captain…" Yoshika said as she sat up.

"I'll protect them, Captain…" I breathed as I sat up. "I promise…no one is going to die under my watch…"

Gertrud looked behind her and at us, giving off a slight smile before taking off toward the Neuroi. When she got closer, she unloaded her guns into the Neuroi, destroying the core and defeating the Neuroi.

I stood up and was held up by Perrine and Yoshika, who were looking at me as I rested there, unable to carry my own weight.

"Did you really mean all that, Roland?" Yoshika asked.

I nodded and smiled, even as I watched Minna approach Gertrud and smack her across the face. "If all you do in life is be reckless then you're going to not have many friends. Even if you do make a lot of them, you still can't give up on yourself, especially if it's going to bring everyone else down."

Perrine looked like she was going to say something about Yoshika calling me by my rank, but I just shook my head. I don't particularly care about the ranks as far as the little Fuso Witch was concerned.

"So…who was Commander Ellios?" Perrine decided to ask instead.

"Commander Hannah Ellios was the commander I had while I was on the _Ascension_. I wish you could meet her, but she was killed by a Neuroi during the incident. Now…" I flashed a toothy smile as we stood there, my aura reading focusing on Gertrud. I could still see the black, but now there was some gold in her aura as well, more than the black splotch. "How about we get back to base so I can relax?"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Aw, I didn't even get to do anything…" Yoshika lamented as she, Lynette, and I stood outside. It was later in the day, after Minna ordered me to take Perrine and the sergeants back to the base while she and Mio went with Gertrud.

I was rather confused: why was Yoshika, who healed Gertrud, complaining that she didn't even get to do anything? She saved Gertrud, for crying out loud!

"Come on, that's not true," Lynette replied.

"Yes it is, Lynne, okay?"

"Actually," I said with a chuckle. "I'm rather happy with the way things turned out."

Soon, we saw Perrine coming out of the hangar. Yoshika got into a defensive position at first, but when Perrine turned her head in embarrassment she and I were surprised.

"Well, I suppose I should thank you," Perrine said. "I figured the least I could do was express my gratitude."

"It's okay, Perrine," I replied. "She did what she needed, but thanks."

Soon, Yoshika and I found ourselves being hugged by Erica.

"Sergeant Miyafuji! Lieutenant Sage!" she said. "I heard all about the way you saved Trude."

"Trude?" Yoshika asked.

"Captain Barkhorn, that's her first name," Lynette replied.

Okay...guy confused here...I thought she was named Gertrud! Not Trude! Augh!

"Oh yeah. Well, I guess you could say we saved each other then."

"Either way, I just wanted to say thank you," Erica added.

"You're welcome," I said as I smiled.

Lynette spotted three Witches coming in for a landing. "Oh, look. I think they're back."

As Mio, Minna, and Gertrud came toward the hangar, we waved at them. I swore I saw Gertrud smiling at Yoshika and myself as she waved back.

"Welcome back!" all of us said.

XXXXXXXXXX

_Gertrud's POV_

I was busy looking at a picture of Chris when I heard the door receive a knock.

"Who is it?" I asked as I put the picture back on my dresser.

"It's me, captain," Sage's voice replied.

Sage? Why is he knocking on the door right now? "Come in, lieutenant."

The door opened, and Sage stepped inside, looking a little upset.

"What is it, lieutenant?" I asked him as I watched him stand there.

"Listen, ma'am..." Sage started. "I'm sorry for snapping at you yesterday. I hope I didn't cause you any trouble with it, but I didn't want to see anyone else die in front of me..."

I looked at him. He came in here just to apologize about what he had said? "Lieutenant...I hate to say this, but I guess I owe you an apology. I was so concerned about my sister that my judgment had been clouded. Hearing you..." I looked away as my eyes passed over the picture I had just put down. "...hearing you say what you said...I guess I finally realized it. What you were saying about protecting others..."

Sage nodded as he finally noticed the picture I was looking at. "I see...is that a photo of your sister?"

"Huh?" I had to run that through my head for a split second before I had a response. "Oh. Yes."

"What's her name, if you mind telling me?"

"Chris." I just gave Sage the name I called her for now.

Sage walked up to the picture and looked at it closely. "You know...she looks eerily like Yoshika...just putting it out there."

I looked at him in amazement. "She looks nothing like Miyafuji, lieutenant."

"It's just an opinion, captain. Anyways...why was I here again? Oh, yeah! Your ride's waiting,"

"Thanks, lieutenant..." I walked toward the door as I passed by him. I flashed him a quick smile, but it was only faint. I mean, I was grateful he actually defied my wishes on being left to die, but he was probably doing it out of regret for whatever happened to Ellios.

Speaking of Ellios...I need to ask Commander Minna more about it...

XXXXXXXXXX

_Roland's POV_

I watched Gertrud leave her room, and I stepped outside after her. As I watched her leave, I used my magic to read her aura. She still had the black, but it was very dim and was surrounded by the golden aura I sensed in her yesterday.

I really was sorry about snapping at her, but the way she handled it...um, I wonder if that's normal?

That, and Chris...I definitely think that she looks like Yoshika. Which brings up the question: how exactly does Gertrud feel toward the other younger Witches? I mean, there's Eila, Francesca, Sanya, Yoshika...

Erm...I think I'll sort it all out.

"Hey, Roland-kun," Yoshika's voice rang out as she caught up to me. "Have you seen Captain Barkhorn?"

"Uh, yeah," I told her. "She just went to catch her ride."

"Oh. Okay, because I was going to tell her that..."

Eh heh...I forgot that Yoshika was the one who told Gertrud that her ride was waiting... "Don't worry, Yoshika." ...My bad...

Suddenly, I heard my stomach growling.

"Are you hungry?" Yoshika asked me.

"I guess so..." I said as I gave off a light chuckle.

"Well, come on, Roland-kun." Yoshika ran off toward the kitchen before stopping to look at me as I stood there, confused. "What's wrong?"

"...Roland-kun?" I was somehow reminded of the name "Kazu-kun", but my name wasn't Kazuma.

"You don't like it?" Yoshika sounded upset.

"No, no, no!" I had to wave my hands in front of me. "It's just odd to actually be hearing that. Anyways, I'm coming."

I walked to her, and we proceeded to the dining hall for lunch. As we walked, I couldn't help but think about how much more trouble I would get into while serving with these girls.

I guess that I'll have to find out along the way...

XXXXXXXXXX

_Charlotte: Next time on **Strike Heroes**..._

_Roland: Hey! What the hell are you doing, Shirley?_

_Charlotte: I'm doing the preview for the next episode._

_Roland: I started the preview the last two times. What's wrong with that?_

_Francesca: Cheer up, Roland. We're heading to the beach._

_Roland: Can't possibly imagine why..._

_Charlotte: Oh, by the way...what do you know about me?_

_Roland: Erm, well..._

_Francesca: Don't spoil it. Next time..._

_Charlotte: **Fast****...**_

_Francesca: **Big...**_

_Charlotte and Francesca: **Soft!**_

_Roland: Can this day get any weirder...?_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Well, the next chapter has been set up. Please read and respond.**


	7. Fast, Big, Soft (Part 1)

**Alright, here comes the next chapter in "Strike Heroes".**

**Now, as usual, let's cover the reviews:**

_fuji92_**: I'm sure Eila will come around...but then again Roland has to gain her trust first. As for the awkwardness, this pair of chapters might be one in which Roland's sanity will truly be put to the test.**

**Anyways, it's time for the next chapter...**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 7: Fast, Big, Soft (Part 1)**

You know those moments that you wished you didn't want to do anything at all? How you simply wanted to just lay back down and forget that the day (and for that matter, the world) didn't simply exist?

What, too deep? I'm just pointing it out because today was going to be one of those "I don't wanna do anything" days. Then again, I think it's worse. What's worse that a day like that? Well, let me tell you...

I was barely waking up when I heard a sudden crash from a few rooms down. The crash sounded like it was close, but then again maybe having watched the anime made me actually imagine it as being louder than it really was.

"What the hell?" I asked myself as I jumped out of bed in my sleepware. With amazing reflexes for having gotten up without stretching at least, I ran out from my room and to Yoshika's room, where I found Lynette standing there in her sleepwear.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Yoshika, what's going on in there?" Lynette asked as she opened the door and walked in, me following close behind her.

When we looked inside, Lynette and I found Yoshika's face on the floor as her legs were kicking in the air. I think she was crying in pain, which made me mentally face palm myself, though her cries were muffled due to her face being still pointed into the floor. Suddenly, Yoshika flipped over and crashed onto her back, making Lynette and me flinch.

_Ooh, that's gotta hurt,_ I thought as I grimaced.

"Are you alright?" Lynette asked as Yoshika rubbed her sore rear. "Can you move?"

"Um…I'm fine," Yoshika told us plainly. "I fell."

"We could tell," I deadpanned. We rushed in to help you out, and you claim that you just fell? For no reason?

Lynette and I rushed over to Yoshika and knelt down as she added, "I had a dream about us."

"Really?" I asked. I saw that she was looking at Lynette, so I was out of the dream. A good thing, if I thought about it.

"What was it about?" Lynette added.

As if she had seen something terrifying, Yoshika suddenly blurted out, "It was nothing, I don't know, I can't remember!" She grabbed her blanket and, as she threw it over herself, added, "Isn't it funny how you can just forget? Oh, and I swear I didn't see anything…"

Now why was Yoshika...

I realized what Yoshika had probably dreamed about: I realized it the moment she looked at Lynette after the Britannian girl asked her about said dream.

The young auburn-haired girl had dreamed about breasts.

When Yoshika looked up again, she saw Lynette smiling at her. I was simply shaking my head as a smirk crossed my face.

XXXXXXXXXX

Soon, Yoshika, Lynette, and I were walking down the hall, each of us fully dressed.

"It's funny…" Lynette said as she turned her head to look at Yoshika. "You never stop working, do you?"

"Huh?" Yoshika asked in defense. "What?" She waved her hands from side to side in defense. "Of course I do, silly!"

"I mean last night. You were dreaming that we were in formation together."

"Wait, we what?" Yoshika thought about it very quickly and added, "Oh, yeah. Yes, we were training. Me, you, and Roland-kun. That's all we were doing, flight training. Yep…"

"I know, that's what I mean. You're training even in your sleep, no wonder you're good. But, um, hopefully after yesterday you can get some real rest. We just fought the Neuroi, so you can forget about fighting them for a while."

I stopped and looked out the window as the others walked past. While I knew that Yoshika wouldn't have had a dream about me when it included Lynette, I couldn't just rule it out. One reason would be that my presence could have changed the dream. The other could be that Yoshika's dream was never really explained if I remembered right, though the reaction I recalled from the Fuso Witch toward the Britannian Witch could make my current version possible. That, and there went the whole "Roland-kun" name again. Why is Yoshika calling me that now?

Moving on to what Lynette said about the Neuroi...how did I look at the Neuroi? After the first real fight with them, I thought that they would be like the Aparoid, especially with the core. However, were there any other types, like land-based or even, heaven forbid, _water_-based types?

Suddenly, I heard Mio call Yoshika followed by something about amusement.

_Eh, doesn't involve me,_ I said to myself, seeing as I didn't exist in the original.

CRACK!

I was about to walk off when Mio said, "Lieutenant, I would require your appearance as well."

"Um, sure?" I asked uncertainly as I came to a complete stop. Why was I wanted?

XXXXXXXXXX

Yoshika quickly nursed her bruised head from Mio smacking her with the scabbard of her katana before asking, "We're going to the beach?"

"That's right," Mio informed us. "We leave tomorrow morning. We'll be going to the eastern coast of this island."

As Yoshika cheered for the apparent good news, I looked at the reactions from the others.

"Uh, Yoshika?" I asked the young Fuso girl. "I don't think that's the reason we're going, though it sounds nice."

Ultimately, I realized that the reason we were heading to the beach was for training, especially if we needed to train at any location, primarily those of an aquatic nature. After Yoshika nearly got in trouble with Mio again, Minna told us to meet back here at ten hundred hours tomorrow. She then asked me and Yoshika to relay the information to Charlotte and Francesca, Charlotte's last known location being the hangar. Before we went, however, Minna told us that we wouldn't be training the entire time. In fact, she suggested that we pack a swimsuit. Soon, Yoshika asked Lynette to come with us as we pardoned ourselves, and we set off to find the girls in question.

XXXXXXXXXX

"What do you think I should do about a swimsuit?" Lynette asked Yoshika as the three of us walked down the hall toward the hangar.

"You don't have one?" I asked. I thought everyone had a pair in case they went to the beach or something...

"I do, but it's from last year. I'm worried it won't fit anymore."

Yoshika stepped in front of Lynette.

"Whoa, so you got bigger then?" Yoshika asked, surprised.

"Um, yeah, but not the way you think..." Lynette replied quickly.

"What about you, Roland-kun?"

I blinked.

"Me?" I asked rather stupidly as I pointed to myself. "If by swimsuit you mean something along the lines of what you girls could be wearing, then I'm not even going to dignify that with an answer..."

"I know that, silly. I mean, do you have something you can use?"

"Of course..."

As we stood there, a sudden explosion from around the corner erupted, forcing Yoshika to hug Lynette tight. I simply rocked from side to side as I recovered from the noise in my ears.

"What was that noise?" Yoshika asked.

"I think it came from the hangar," Lynette tried as an answer.

"Let's go!" I ordered.

XXXXXXXXXX

The three of us entered the hangar and found Charlotte sitting down on some of gripping device designed for securing Striker Units, her animal features active as she had her Striker Unit equipped. As far as I could make out, they were those of a hare's.

"Shirley!" we all shouted out.

Charlotte turned her head to face us and waved at us.

"Yo! What's up guys?" she asked. "Getting into trouble?"

"Did you have anything to do with an explosion earlier?" I asked as we approached the orange-haired girl.

"Oh, are you talking about this?" Charlotte pointed at her Striker Unit, which was open in some areas, before making a white glow around her and closing up the Striker Unit completely. "Now check this out."

She stood up and let the grip grab the Unit as she started up the device, being lifted up slightly as her clothes blew in the ensuing wind. The noise emitted from the Striker Unit was deafening, making all of us cover our ears.

Well, except Charlotte herself, who was probably used to the noise.

"Oh wow," Yoshika shouted over the Unit. "It's really neat and noisy!"

Pressing a few buttons, Charlotte said, "Yeah, it's looking good. Maybe I should adjust the acceleration on the front a little bit."

"Shirley?" Charlotte looked at Yoshika as the young girl waved her right hand.

The next set of dialogue between Yoshika and Charlotte were made at about the same time, though what set it off was me trying to say something. However, with the noise being too loud, I couldn't even hear myself.

"What? I can't hear you!"

"It's really loud! My ears hurt! I can't…"

Charlotte cut power to the Unit, and soon the results became clear: Lynette was exhausted and ended up being caught by Yoshika, who then yelled really loud, "Can you please turn it off?"

Of course, this had different reactions for both Charlotte and myself: I had uncovered my ears to relish in the silence but had to re-cover them in order to save them from Yoshika.

"Are you trying to blow my ears out?" Charlotte asked, annoyed as she unplugged her ears.

Yoshika covered her mouth with her right hand. "I'm so sorry! But…what is this thing, and what are you doing in the hangar? You could really hurt yourself!"

I took a quick look at Yoshika.

"You're worried that she'll hurt herself?" I asked the Fuso Witch.

"Why are you guys yelling?" we heard a voice say.

The four of us looked up and found Francesca lying on a beam up above, a sort of blanket with the flag design of her homeland on it.

"Lucchini!" Charlotte said in surprise.

Francesca yawned and added in an annoyed tone, "Did you come in here just to wake me up and put me in a bad mood, 'cause if so congratulations." She then jumped down from the beam and landed softly, surprising even me.

"I'm so sorry!' Yoshika apologized.

"You mean you can sleep in the hangar with all that noise around you?" Lynette, who had recovered by now, asked.

Francesca nodded. "Yep, 'cause it happens all the time."

"It does?" Yoshika asked. Turning to Charlotte, she added, "So does that mean you're down here a lot? What are you working on?"

"I just finished modifying the Striker's engine," Charlotte said, who was now standing in front of us, the open hangar door shining light inside and past her.

"You modified the whole engine? What does that mean?"

I looked at Yoshika. She didn't just ask what she just asked, did she? And how the hell did Charlotte get from Point A to Point B without me knowing it?

Charlotte looked at us before replying with, "I'll be happy to show you. Come on."

XXXXXXXXXX

"What does modification mean again?" Yoshika asked as we all stood outside.

"It means I've adjusted the energy allocation of the magic engine," Charlotte explained.

"And by allocation you changed the amount of energy we use for attacking and defense?" Lynette asked.

I only stayed silent: I wasn't a Striker Unit mechanic, or any sort of mechanic for that matter. In fact, all I did was wave my index fingers in the air as I traced the conversation back and forth between the girls.

"Yep, you got it," Charlotte replied as she slipped on some goggles.

"So what part of the engine did you enhance, Shirley?" Lynette asked.

"I enhanced the speed."

"Ready?" Francesca, holding a box that was a speed monitor, asked.

"Right." Charlotte looked down the runway.

We all watched as Charlotte floated there for a few moments before Francesca gave the cue: "Go!"

As Charlotte took off down the runway, I wasn't paying any attention to the conversation around me. I was busy thinking about the fact that the lieutenant looked great taking off down the runway.

Suddenly, I blinked as I ran that thought back through my head.

Aw crap! First Minna, now Charlotte…who's next?

Maybe Mio or Lynette…

_Oh cut it out!_ I thought to myself quickly as I shook my head. I even gave myself a light smack on the back of my head.

Man, I have to figure out what goes on inside my head sometimes...

After a while, Charlotte went up into the air and started accelerating.

"Whoa, I can't believe she's still accelerating," Lynette commented after a while.

"Yep, seven hundred and seventy," Francesca agreed, giving Charlotte's current speed. The young girl kept on reading the speed until she reached eight hundred kilometers per hour, a new record.

_Wow,_ I said to myself. _I wonder if she can give my Striker Unit a tune-up…if it's at all possible..._

Soon, those of us on the runway started running back toward the hangar as Charlotte flew above us at a slower rate.

"That's amazing!" Lynette said.

"Awesome!" I shouted in surprise.

"Shirley, you've set a new record!" Francesca stated.

"Alright!" Charlotte said before losing control of her Striker Unit and falling on us.

When I checked on my situation at that moment with my aura, I noted everyone's locations: Yoshika was lying on top of Charlotte, her hands touching the orange-haired girl's breasts. Lynette had landed on Charlotte's right side while Francesca faced her from the front.

Me, well…where I was, I wasn't sure whether I should be freaked out or not currently.

Suddenly, Charlotte announced, "Let's get something to eat."

And...I think I fainted.

XXXXXXXXXX

Later on, after I spent a few minutes unconscious from the trial's conclusion, Charlotte, Francesca, Lynette, Yoshika, and I were in the hangar simply hanging out. Yoshika and Lynette were going through a book that belonged to Charlotte while the orange-haired girl tuned her Striker Unit, which she nicknamed "Merlin". Francesca was sitting on the platform where the insertion points of the Unit were pointing. I was simply practicing lifting spare parts with my magic.

"What is all this?" Yoshika asked as she turned the page.

"New record achievement of Glamorous Shirley," Lynette read at the top of a page.

I, having been behind Yoshika as I was practicing, looked over the Fuso girl's shoulder and read the title myself.

"Hey, Shirley?" I asked as I stared at the cover. "What are you doing in a biker magazine?"

I knew the answer, but I had to stay in character as much as possible.

"I don't know," Francesca tried. "I think it's because she used to ride bikes before she became a pilot."

Charlotte turned to look at us as she took a hamburger she was holding with her mouth away.

"Have you ever heard of the Bonneville Flats?" she asked in a muffled tone.

"Bonneville?" Yoshika asked.

Charlotte swallowed what she had in her mouth. "Yeah. It's a flat made of salt as far as the eye can see, right in the middle of Liberion."

"Wow, I've never heard of that place before," Lynette said.

"I might have," I said as I looked at her. "Isn't that where people go to set land speed records?"

Charlotte replied with, "I'm not surprised. It was kinda like a holy land for us speed freaks. You could say that article's the reason you're graced with my presence today. The day it was written, I was told about these Witches that fly at the world's fastest speed with magical engines. I went home that day and applied to enlist in the military, and now I'm here in a hangar working with you two ladies and Roland."

At this point, Yoshika and Lynette were sitting in front of Charlotte while I leaned on the nearby table as I listened.

"That's great," Lynette said. "So on your days off you try to break your speed record with the equipment you're working on here?"

"You have the top speed, that's so amazing!" Yoshika said in awe. "But if you're already at the top, how far will you have to go before you're satisfied?"

"Never thought about it," Charlotte said. "Huh…the speed of sound. I wanna exceed Mach One someday."

"Good goal," I encouraged. "Especially with the equipment being the way you made them. I think you'll be able to do it."

"Wait, what do you mean by the speed of sound?" Yoshika asked.

"It's the speed at which sound travels," Charlotte and I said simultaneously. We looked at each other afterward before I added, "Well, I don't recall the exact speed. Do you, Shirley?"

"At about twelve hundred kilometers per hour," Charlotte supplied.

"Ah."

"Do you really think it's possible to go that fast?" Lynette added. "The numbers almost sound made up."

"Who knows?" Charlotte asked as she stood up. "I don't. But if we don't chase after our dreams we'll lose them forever." She winked before hanging her goggles up on the Striker Unit. "'Kay, that's all I got for today." She then turned to look at the girls and me. "Hang on a sec. You guys came in here for something, what was it?"

Yoshika and Lynette looked at each other as they suddenly didn't remember why they came there in the first place. Even I was aware of what I forgot.

"Oh no! We forgot!"

XXXXXXXXXX

Everyone except Francesca (who was napping currently) stepped out of the hangar, me stepping out last.

Yoshika had just told Charlotte that we were to meet at ten hundred hours tomorrow, something Charlotte was looking forward to.

"Why?" I asked.

"Oh," Yoshika added. "To train somewhere else?"

Charlotte turned around and looked at us. "To see you in swimsuits."

This got a shocked reaction from the girls while Charlotte winked at me.

"I'll, um…I'll see what I can do," I said simply. What exactly was the norm for a guy around this time period?

XXXXXXXXXX

_Francesca's POV_

I opened my eyes slowly as I sat up and stretched, yawning as I did so.

It really felt good to be able to nap almost anywhere. I had decided to sleep on the stand that held Shirley's Striker Unit, which wasn't too hard to do considering my size.

Anyways, I looked around the place and noticed that Shirley, Yoshika, Lynne, and Roland had left the area. Which meant that I was alone.

Then my eyes fell onto Shirley's goggles, which were hanging on her Striker Unit. Thinking quickly and with the agility of someone my age, I jumped over the Striker Unit as my right hand grabbed the goggles and pulled them off as soon as I landed. I then turned around and looked at the goggles with glee.

CRASH!

What I heard next scared me: I turned around and saw that the Striker Unit had tipped over when I got the goggles and had landed on the ground of the hangar. What was worse was that the little things inside it had decided to come out as the Striker Unit had opened up after the crash.

Oh...my...Shirley's going to kill me if I don't do something about it!

Thinking quickly, I got to work getting the Striker Unit's parts back inside it, trying my best to put it together. It took me about an hour to do, and even then I was hoping that I put it together again the way it was before it fell.

Before anyone got more suspicious, I raced out of the hangar, but I accidentally collided with someone, who grabbed my shoulders as I stumbled back.

"Francesca," I heard Roland say as I looked up and saw that it was the Ground Witch himself. "There you are! Shirley looked worried about where you were, so I thought I'd see if you were in here still. Guess I was right..." He then looked inside the hangar and then looked at me with a slight frown. "Did something happen in there?"

"Uh, nope!" I said quickly as I shook my head. "Nothing happened!"

He tilted his head to his left before straightening it and saying, "Okay...I guess I'll take your word for it right now. I just thought I heard something crashing as I was coming. Come on, it's time to eat."

"Alright!" He let go of my shoulders, and we walked to the dining hall, me skipping and him just walking. I even skipped around him a few times as we went.

I really hope he doesn't think anything's suspicious...he did say that he heard something crash, and if I'm unlucky he could tell Shirley about it...

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**There we go. The next chapter is up and running.**

**Probably a fitting way to end this particular part, but maybe I could do better next time.**

**Anyways, please read and respond. Thanks.**


	8. Fast, Big, Soft (Part 2)

**Hi, and welcome to the next chapter of "Strike Heroes".**

**Now, as you probably expected, I'd like to cover the reviews:**

_fuji92_**: Thanks for the review. As far as the ending for Shirley's arc...well, that's a surprise. As for Roland's sanity, I'm not sure if he'll even have anything short of a body by the time the whole season ends itself. The way he's getting put into awkward situations (being slapped by Eila, having to deal with the girls' appearances on a daily basis, doing push-ups like in Chapter 4, etc.) makes it seem like he hadn't really had any sanity in the beginning.**

_Dragonman75_**: I'm not sure if the PM you sent me was a review or not, but I am glad to hear that I am doing a good job on the story. Though if it's not too much, can you specify the part(s) that you liked or found interesting?**

**Okay, now that I've covered the review(s), I want to say this: I'm sorry for taking a while to update this story. I had a lot to deal with during the Fourth of July weekend, and I tried my best to make this chapter the best I can make it. Again, I'm sorry.**

**Now, with that out of the way, it's time for the conclusion of this particular arc. Enjoy.**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 8: Fast, Big, Soft (Part 2)**

_Mio's POV_

When I stepped into the dining hall after a morning of practicing with my katana to have some breakfast, I found myself looking at a strange sight.

"You two found a chess board?" Miyafuji asked as she and Lynne were busy watching Sage and Perrine playing a game of chess.

"Hey, you know how hard it was to find it on this base?" Sage retorted as he watched Perrine move one of her pawns. It seemed to me that he was probably nice enough to let her go first because she was in control of the white side. Sage had the other side under his.

"So who's winning so far?" I asked as I walked toward them.

"Oh, it's the major!" Miyafuji said in surprise as she saluted hastily. Sage looked up and saluted once he had a brief blinking fit.

"How are you this morning, major?" Sage asked as he lowered his salute.

"Fine," I told him as I stood there. I noticed that Perrine started to get a little red around her cheeks. I was about to say something about it, but I had noticed that she seemed to look like that because of Sage's presence. Well, I think it was...I'm not a mind reader... "Again, who's winning so far?"

"Um...well..." Sage tried as he stumbled for an answer. "We barely started."

"I see."

I then watched Miyafuji as she walked into the kitchen.

"Are you hungry, ma'am?" the little Fuso Witch asked.

"Yeah," I replied. "What is there to eat?"

"Um...let me see..." I think Miyafuji was busy looking around what I think was the refrigerator.

"Do we have any eggs?" Sage decided to ask.

"Eggs?" I asked him as I looked at him.

"You know, what chickens produce?"

"I know that." Though I was glaring at him slightly, I couldn't help but give off a slight smile.

"Yeah," Miyafuji called out from the kitchen. "We do have some eggs."

"Perfect," Sage said as he stood up and pushed his chair in. "How do you three want your eggs?"

"However you'll make it?" I tried. Was that a trick question, or was he actually going to try making us breakfast? I looked at Lynne, who was following Sage's example, and Perrine to see what they were showing on their faces. Perrine had that same redness on her cheeks, and Lynne looked like she was thinking of something else.

"How about I make some toast for all of us?" Lynne asked.

If there was one thing I was thankful of, it was that Sage didn't know how to make the toaster operate correctly. Somehow, it was a simple appliance, but Sage had no idea how to even use that. In fact, he had to ask Miyafuji where he had to put the bread in the appliance.

"Great," Sage said as he nodded at her. "Hey, major?" He was now looking at me, and our eyes met for a while. "You can take my spot. It's gonna take me a while to make breakfast."

"Sure, lieutenant," I told him as I nodded in agreement. I took his seat and faced Perrine as Sage and Lynne went to help with breakfast.

XXXXXXXXXX

_Roland's POV_

By the time I was finished with cooking the eggs, it was about a quarter after nine. Five minutes after that, everyone was seated at the table and eating.

Well, almost everyone: Francesca seemed to have been missing (I wonder if she's sleeping in or something?).

Anyways, I hoped I made enough eggs for everyone. I usually made about two or three eggs per person, and somehow I managed to use...let's see, two point five times twelve...that's five times six...ah! About thirty eggs, give or take a few.

Anyways, I'm still a little irked that I can't use the stupid toaster. I mean, if you saw it then you might have agreed.

...Then again, you can't really see it, so I guess imagine it? Besides, in my defense it looks nothing like the toasters we have back in my time (and world. Can't forget about the "world" bit.), so you can't blame me.

Just glad I have two teammates who seemed to enjoy making breakfast. Though the nattō beans Yoshika had made were a bit much personally.

"This is good, lieutenant," Lynette said as she took a quick forkful of the eggs.

"Thanks, Lynne," I told her.

"It tastes a bit cheesy..." Charlotte remarked as she tried it.

"Well, I felt like getting a little creative..." I put my right hand on the back of my head as I gave off a cheesy smile. I was lucky that we had a refrigerator on the base as well as having some cheese on hand. I was not sure what cheese it was, but I think it was American cheese.

As for the cheesy smile...no really. I had eaten some of the eggs before Charlotte made her remark, so...I think you can figure the rest out.

"It's rather impressive of you to be able to make eggs, Sage," Mio told me. "I wonder how you learned how to make them this way..."

"Um...luck?" I tried. Okay, Mio...first off, I'm not dumb enough to burn eggs...uh, on second thought, I had a chance of making them slightly brown on accident. Then again, what am I saying? You said that you'll eat anything as long as it's edible...I think.

"Well, we better hurry up and eat," Minna decided to insert. "We still have to go to the beach for training, remember?"

I swallowed what I had and blinked. Wait, that was today?

Oh dear...

XXXXXXXXXX

I was busy practicing with being able to stay afloat in the water with the Striker Unit on my legs, a pair of black swim trunks being its companion. Due to the uncertainty of the time period's attitude toward men going shirtless, I had opted to using my green shirt from my sleepware. Yoshika and Lynette were alongside me as we worked on training in the water. It was rather difficult for them: they didn't have the body strength to keep their heads up, and soon they disappeared under the wave. I was simply looking at Mio and Minna, who were counting the time since the girls went under. The commander and major had been discussing something about training and the girls, which I was assuming was poor for training effort or something.

Then again, I was barely holding myself above the surface.

"I think this is one time I can actually say that I'm thankful for training outside the Witches," I commented just as Yoshika broke the surface, with Lynette following a few seconds later. As I said, I had training before I joined, but that was with guns and going through swamps. Really? Neuroi do not walk as far as I'm concerned...

What followed next was Mio telling them to "take a page from Perrine's book" while the girl in question swam past, doing what I could only safely say was breaststroke. I swore she huffed yet again followed by Yoshika and Lynette sinking back under in exhaustion a while later.

"Um..." I started as I looked from where the girls used to be in the water to the trainers. "You two don't think this is a little too extreme for them?"

"Gotta get some training in the water," Minna explained. "If they end up in the water, they need to be able to survive for any nearby ships to rescue them if need be. Besides, you can't be too careful, right?"

"Can't really argue with that logic," I replied before I let my head go under for a while to wet my hair. It was rather refreshing, and thankfully it was hot outside.

"Okay, everyone!" Mio shouted after a while. "Time for a break!"

I powered down my Striker Unit and swam out of the water, barely remembering that the prototype was only able to preserve my cargo pants. Luckily, my gray boxers were underneath the swim trunks in case I had a problem like that.

A while later, and Yoshika and Lynette clambered out of the water, dragging their spare Striker Units along the sand. I simply walked out of the water and onto the beach, with some slight panting. Well, after I performed a series of freestyle strokes to get my feet to touch underwater land.

Soon, I watched Yoshika and Lynette hit the sand chest first and turn so that they were on their backs. I then watched as Charlotte joined them after a while, and I soon joined in, lying down between Charlotte and Yoshika. I simply activated my magic to see the aura around me, and I couldn't help but notice that all three of them had that peaceful green aura in them.

"Training's not so bad," Charlotte told us. "Besides, now you guys have a while before you train some more, so enjoy it while you can."

"I agree," I said as I lied there, looking up into the sky.

So peaceful here…so calm…

"You ever done something like this, Roland?" Lynette asked.

I lifted my head to look at the Britannian Witch.

"Not for a while," I told her. "With me being in the military, I didn't really get to actually enjoy the beach." Then again, I had been there a few times when I was younger...

Yoshika looked up at the sun, shading her eyes as she looked.

"What's that?" she asked as she sat up, followed by Lynette and me.

"What's the matter?" Lynette asked her.

"I don't know. I saw something. It's flying across the sun."

At this point, Charlotte had sat up. "What was it?"

I threw my right hand over my eyes to make a sort of visor as I looked at the object in question. I glanced at Charlotte, who had done the same. What we both saw surprised us.

"The enemy!" both Charlotte and I said as one.

"Neuroi?" Yoshika asked.

Suddenly, Charlotte stood up, turned around, and ran off. I, catching the idea, stood up and followed her, using as much of my leg muscles' remaining strength as possible to keep up. Yoshika and Lynette tried following, but they were still weak from the training they had just done.

XXXXXXXXXX

Charlotte was the first one over the wall leading to the hangar, Yoshika, Lynette, and me right behind her. I nimbly jumped onto the wall and stood there as the girls tried climbing the wall.

"Wow," Yoshika sighed as she looked at Charlotte. "She even runs fast."

"Let's keep moving," I ordered, seeing as I was of a higher rank then Yoshika and Lynette. Then again, it was more of common sense: no point in sitting on our rears for this one.

Soon, the three of us reached the hangar's runway in time for the main door to open up and for Charlotte to fly out of it, nearly hitting Yoshika as the young girl ducked.

"Shirley, wait!" Yoshika tried, but she was out of earshot.

"Come on!" I said as I powered up the Striker Unit I owned. "We need to get going."

After saying this, I flew into the air, following Charlotte as closely as I could. I could feel Yoshika and Lynette's auras as they were utilizing their own Striker Units to follow me. Soon, I had to kick my speed down a lot in order to let the girls catch up. After that, we picked up speed quickly. I may have made a dumb move with the drop in speed, but I was damned if I was going to be without help in case this goes south.

We had barely made it to Charlotte when she increased her speed, making us back away slightly.

"Let's keep moving," I said. "She's going to be too far if we slow down."

We kicked our speed back up to a good rate.

After a while, Yoshika said, "She's getting farther away!"

"We'll never catch up to her now," Lynette added.

"Keep going!" I said as I put more power into the Striker Unit I owned. "She'll need help sooner or later."

I was barely trying to catch up to Shirley's speed, and soon it was going to be complicated by more problems: as soon as I saw Charlotte going faster, I heard the sound of a sonic boom.

_Holy crap!_ I thought as the others and myself felt the first shockwave from the break in the sound barrier. _She's going faster than the speed of sound!_

The shockwave made us all stop in our tracks, Yoshika and Lynette barely trying to maintain altitude. I was sent flying back, though I was able to correct my flight.

Not liking what was to happen, I focused on Charlotte's aura as she flew, though it was taking all I had to maintain a lock on it. Suddenly, I felt her aura flash a dimmer version of yellow as the green had already disappeared when the Neuroi was flying right toward her.

"Oh boy…" I gasped in shock as I recognized the fact that Charlotte's dimmer aura could probably only mean one thing. "I think Shirley's going to become the world's first supersonic human bullet…"

True to my words, Charlotte ripped through the Neuroi, destroying it a few seconds after impact.

Lynette and Yoshika stopped in the air, followed by me stopping as well.

"The enemy's been destroyed," Lynette said out of amazement.

"What about Shirley?" Minna asked us.

"She's, um…" Yoshika tried.

We noticed a human-shaped object start flying toward the upper limits of the sky.

"She's…She's fine!" I said in disbelief, confirming it with an aura read. She still had energy, and now her yellow aura had more green in it. A lot more peaceful green than usual.

"She made it!" Yoshika added. "Shirley's gonna be okay!"

The three of us started flying toward her. However, before we could get close enough, Charlotte's Striker Unit slipped off, and the orange-haired girl started falling toward the water head first. This made Yoshika and Lynette stop and panic, saying that she wasn't going to make it after all. We flew down, me letting the girls take point, and they managed to catch Charlotte before she could hit the water. I had barely enough time to grab her Striker Unit before it fell into the ocean.

As we flew back up to a safer level, I noted the conditions of each of them: Lynette was holding Charlotte from the back, while Yoshika's hands were on the orange-haired girl's breasts. I wasn't holding her due to the oddness added with the fact that I was holding her Striker Unit, and I was blushing: somehow Charlotte's swimsuit had been destroyed. Plus, she was unconscious.

Yoshika was surprised at where her hands were at first, but then she started playing with Charlotte's breasts happily.

"What is it?" Mio radioed as they flew there. "What happened?"

Lynette noticed Yoshika's actions and was taken aback. "Uwah! It's nothing! She's fine, major! Shirley's been rescued, but…"

"Yeah, but what?" Mio sounded irritated.

"Wow, they're gigantic!" Yoshika said, making me blush madly.

If I remembered the scene on the other end correctly, Minna was blushing while Mio was making sense of what Yoshika said.

"Yoshika!" Lynette scolded. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Dammit, sergeant!" Mio radioed back. "I demand you tell me what's going on!"

"I'm sorry, major, but it's hard to explain!"

"Think that's bad?" I radioed back as we flew back to base. "Try being in my position, major."

"I'm so hungry," Yoshika simply yawned.

I could do nothing but look at her in shock: she's dreamed about breasts yesterday and is currently messing with Charlotte's (I am still blushing here, dammit!), but yet she's..._hungry?!_

Okay...Just one remark, and...I can get myself mauled or killed. I'm almost certain that it's not a good idea to try getting Yoshika angry.

Instead, I just flew ahead of them, the only area where I didn't have to worry about things like what I just saw.

XXXXXXXXXX

_**Dear Letter,**_

_**My second letter here and I've got some strange things going on around here.**_

_**Where should I start?**_

_**Right. Well, there's the matter of Shirley.**_

_**See, after the Neuroi incident, I felt like I was getting these glares. I mean, I'm a guy, but I didn't do anything to her. Of course, I was assigned with Yoshika to keep an eye on Shirley, so…**_

_**Luckily I got into the room **_**after**_** she was covered up.**_

_**It was like that for an hour or so until Shirley woke up, and you know what?**_

_**I kid you not, she saw me as soon as her eyes opened (I was trying to check on her pulse or something. You know, see if she was still alive?) and grabbed me, pulling me in for a hug.**_

_**Sadly, she wasn't dressed at all, so I ended up…well…**_

_**Let's just say that I'm starting to get really concerned about my sanity. Which I'm still trying to figure if I still have it or not.**_

_**Anyways, she stayed in her room for a few days, and Yoshika and I took turns while we did our training. When Yoshika went, I stood watch, and vice versa. It gave me some time to make sure she was doing okay, so I wasn't worrying about if she was going to make it or not.**_

_**As for the Striker Unit, I wasn't sure if she ever did get her Striker Unit out of the ocean in the original version, but she did express gratitude for me saving hers. It seems that this is one choice I had to make on a whim, and I have just changed a detail in my time spent here.**_

_**Well, other than being inside the Strike Witches, of course...**_

_**Anyways, I'm writing this letter a few days after that particular incident. A lot can happen in that time.**_

_**So…what's been happening there?**_

_**Signed, **_**Roland Sage**

XXXXXXXXXX

_Charlotte's POV_

It's been a week since the whole thing about the training at the beach, and I had been taken care of by Roland and Yoshika.

It was rather nice of him to care enough about me to be able to help me out when I was exhausted. Really nice of him. Plus Yoshika...

I can also thank Roland for saving my Striker Unit. At least he somehow understood the work I put into Merlin. It's sweet that I can still use it, even after the trouble I went through while breaking the speed barrier.

Then again, I'm glad that I put up my shield when I crashed through the Neuroi. I really didn't want to find out what happened if you collided with something going in the opposite direction at Mach One.

Anyways, I was spending some time in the bath, just letting my muscles relax for a while. I don't know, but it's interesting that the major enjoyed the idea of the "open bath". It's a change of pace, and around other girls it's a great time to talk.

"Why am I getting dragged into this again?"

Huh? That sounds like Roland's voice...

"I noticed that you haven't taken a bath in a while," Major Sakamoto said in response.

"Uh, first off I'm a guy," Roland countered, "and second off I prefer taking a bath on my own. Though I really prefer showers."

I shook my head. I think Roland mentioned something about taking showers with the men. I'm not sure how that works out, but I think when he mentioned his usual self-cleaning location, I think the major decided to drag him here.

"It doesn't matter, lieutenant. You're a member of the Strike Witches, and we do things as a team."

"Then why aren't the other seven Witches on said team coming as well?"

Hmm...Roland said other seven, Major Sakamoto was with him, and I'm in here...who's with them?

I got my answer when I turned around. I spotted the major, the male Witch, Yoshika, and Lynne. I noticed that the two younger girls were blushing deeply (maybe due to the fact that Roland was going to take a bath with them?). Major Sakamoto looked normal as she looked at me as I waved to them.

"Hey there," I said. "You guys getting in?"

"Of course, Shirley," the major told me. "Even Lieutenant Sage is joining us today."

Speaking of Roland...I took a quick look at him and blinked. He had evidently put two and two together and was now standing there with some sort of glazed look. "Uh, major? Is he okay with this?" I pointed casually at the male Witch.

"Of course!" Major Sakamoto slapped his back in support. "He just can't wait to get in."

I looked at Roland more carefully...and he just fell onto his back. "I think he's in shock..."

"In shock of what?"

"Huh?" Lynne asked as she finally looked at Roland. "Oh no, Roland!"

I watched as Lynne and Yoshika crouched down and tried waking him up.

"Come on, Roland-kun..." Yoshika cooed. "It's okay. It's just Shirley."

"Wake up, Roland!" Lynne said in a more panicked voice.

I watched Major Sakamoto give off a simple head shake of disappointment.

Is it just me, or is Roland really not that used to seeing us in the bath yet?

XXXXXXXXXX

_Roland: Next time on **Strike** **Heroes**,it's—_

_Eila: It's an entire episode all about Sanya. Finally: Sanya on the left, Sanya on the right—_

_Roland: Hey! Since when did you decide to cut in on what I said?_

_Eila: What? I'm not worried. It's going to be great._

_Roland: That's not the point!_

_Sanya: Next time on **Strike** **Heroes…**_

_Eila and Sanya: **We're the Same**._

_Roland (hearing Sanya's song): Wow, that voice…_

_Eila: I know! Isn't it beautiful?_

_Roland: Uh..._

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**There we go. The next chapter is up. Honestly, somehow I feel that I could have done better, but let me know in the reviews.**

**Anyways, please read and review. Thanks.**


	9. We're the Same (Part 1)

**Alright, here comes the next chapter in the "Strike Heroes" story.**

**Before we begin, let me begin with the usual: the answering of reviews.**

_fuji92_**: Thanks for the review. I had to actually think about how I was going to start and finish the chapter. I have to admit that I had improvised the beginning of the second part, but something happened before I actually remembered to save my progress, so I spent a few more minutes trying to retype the section I had worked on. It wasn't exactly what I could remember from before the problem, but when I read it again it captured the idea I had sought in the first place. As for the ending, I had to put some more thought into it, seeing as the previous episode found Roland realizing things and the situations he ended up in.**

_Dragonman75_**: It's nice to hear that the story is entertaining to you. Though I still have to address a few things, especially with Roland. When I'll reveal those details will be a mystery, but be sure to keep an eye out.**

**Now with the reviews out of the way, let's go on to this particular arc...**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 9: We're the Same (Part 1)**

_Sanya's POV_

I was flying around in the middle of the night, my Fliegerhammer at my side as I patrolled for any signs of the enemy while singing. It's something I'm good at, especially with my magic. Though there's not really anyone to hear it.

Usually, there's not really much to do. I simply fly through the night sky and listen to what I can sense with my magic. It's not much, but Commander Minna and Major Sakamoto at least appreciate me doing this task, seeing as I'm used to the night.

Anyways, tonight was unlike any normal night: I had flown above the clouds to look at my surroundings and I could see a distant light.

Stopping my song, I focused on the light and recognized it as one of our planes, and I decided to fly to it so I could escort it back.

XXXXXXXXXX

_Roland's POV_

Mio wasn't currently happy as she, Yoshika, Minna, and I were sitting inside the fuselage of a plane, and Minna took fast notice of it. That, and the red she was giving off concerned me a little.

"Your displeasure is written all over your face," she said. "Calm yourself, major."

"They call us all the way over there and then start telling us how the budget is totally fubar," was Mio's reply. "Of course I'm totally pissed off. They _owe_ us."

"They're just panicking. We're currently the only ones consistently getting results at this point."

"They're not going to see anything other than what they want until it's far too late."

"That's just how the warmongers behave. If the Neuroi had never shown up, they would have had you, me, and everyone on this team split into sides and killing each other instead."

"Killing each other?" I asked as I sat next to the commander. "They can't do that, can they?" If they did, then it was going to be World War Two all over again.

Minna looked at me. "Don't worry. Even if that were to happen right now, we wouldn't be able to kill each other. We're a team."

"It's not that, it's just…"

"Those damn bankers think they run the world," Mio added, getting back to the original conversation.

At least she returned us to the first topic...

"Wouldn't be surprised," I said as I got comfortable and closed my left eye. "Even now, the world pretty much runs on a lot of ideas like that."

Mio turned to Yoshika, who was sitting next to her as she stared out the window. "Sorry about that, Miyafuji. I wanted to show you around Britannia so you could know how beautiful her people can be."

"It's okay," Yoshika said as she looked at the major. "I was just thinking about how everybody in the military is so different…"

I was about to ask Yoshika what she meant by that, but soon we could hear someone singing a strange tune from the radios. At least, I think it was from the radios.

"Um…do you hear something?" Yoshika asked quickly.

"Yeah," I said as I opened my left eye again. "It sounds like someone singing." I shook my head in case I was hearing things.

"Hmm?" Minna added. "That's just Sanya singing. We're approaching the base. She came to escort us."

At that moment, I could see Sanya flying next to the plane on Mio's side, and I saw Yoshika waving to the girl.

"Thanks, Sanya!" she said cheerfully.

In response, Sanya flew away from the plane and dived into the clouds. However, her song continued.

"Is Sanya really shy?" Yoshika asked next. "She just flew away."

"She may be a little shy," Minna told her, "but she has a pretty voice, and she's a good girl." Something caught her attention as well as mine, and it didn't feel friendly. "Hold on. What is it, Sanya?"

"Someone is looking at us," Sanya radioed back.

_That's not good, _I thought as I looked out the window behind me.

"Someone is what?" Mio tried. "Repeat that, please. I'm having trouble reading your transmission."

"I'm sorry," Sanya said. "There is an unknown bogey inbound from the direction of Syria at high speed."

"So is it a Neuroi?" Minna asked.

"Yes, I believe it's them. Its speed is too great to be a normal aircraft."

_Unless you're Shirley,_ I added to myself.

Mio had lifted her eye patch and couldn't see any anomalies. "I don't see anything, Sanya."

I tried using my powers to sense it, but the best I could get was nothing unusual, though I finally got to look at Sanya's aura. I could see green for now, and I didn't have time to actually delve into the auras within her. Then again, I couldn't be certain that it was green.

"It's in the clouds. The target cannot be acquired visually." Sanya added.

"Any ideas?" I asked.

"So that's how it is," Minna said.

Yoshika was worried. "Um, major…what are we supposed to do?"

"Nothing we can do," Mio told her.

"We're trapped here?"

"Without our Striker Units we're just regular passengers on this plane," Minna told her. "Roland is the only one who can take them on."

"Yeah," I added. "However, I'm not simply going to just jump out of a moving plane." I glanced at Minna. "Do you think they planned it this way?"

"The Neuroi aren't capable of such complicated strategies," Mio told him.

"Then it's luck that they caught us like this." I furrowed my eyebrows.

Why is it I have to be in the bad situations? I mean, I knew what I was going into when I agreed to go with Minna to the base...but with everything I had to deal with...

"The target is still inbound, fast," Sanya radioed in. "Contact in three minutes."

"Sanya," Minna told her. "Try to buy us time until back-up arrives. Avoid a direct engagement if possible."

"Yes, ma'am. I'll draw their fire away from the transport."

With that said, Sanya took off, her rocket launcher in her right hand. Mio told Yoshika to watch closely, and I looked just to help out. Then, she explained that Sanya's role was a part of the night patrol, which made as much sense as Yoshika and her healing magic or me and my versatility, though so far the only use I had was the green aura from Lynette's first Neuroi kill. Mio also said that the song Sanya used was one of her spells to guide the transport.

Soon, the others and I could see explosions.

After a while, Mio told her to return, and that was it.

If only I could get the cold feeling that it wasn't over yet out of my spine…then maybe it would all be okay. I could sense Sanya being worried about something as well, as if she wasn't certain that it was destroyed.

XXXXXXXXXX

"So," Gertrud asked as she stood there, looking at us, "No one saw the Neuroi except Sanya?"

Francesca was busy sleeping on a chair, curled up into a small ball. Charlotte was standing behind the chair, a warm jacket covering her.

"It stayed hidden in the clouds and never showed its face," Mio told her.

"'Kay…" Erica said as she, Minna, and Mio were sitting on the couch, Gertrud standing behind it. "But I heard that it didn't even bother to shoot back at her. When does a Neuroi do that?"

_Or any enemy for that matter?_ I said to myself before I stared out the window and watched the rain fall and hit the glass.

"Are we even certain it _was_ a Neuroi?"

I looked at Sanya, who wasn't sure herself.

"Well," I said, turning to face the blond Karlsland Witch. "If it was, then it should be weak. If not, then…" I shrugged my shoulders while giving off a very cheesy smile. "…whoops…"

"Maybe it was a shy Neuroi," Lynette tried. When she got no response from it, she added, "Or maybe not…Sorry…"

"Maybe she's right," Perrine said as she sat in another chair, sipping some tea. "Maybe they were connecting on the same wavelength, like sisters perhaps."

Eila, who was with Sanya, stuck her tongue out at Perrine.

"Same wavelength?" I asked, noticing everyone looking at me. "I don't think anybody could detect Sanya's wavelength and use it against her, not unless she has a sibling that shared her power or something."

"How a Neuroi thinks is not known," Minna pointed out. "We need a clearer picture of their intentions."

"Until we have that, there's no way to predict what they'll do next." Mio added. "There's a high likelihood the Neuroi that failed will return over and over until it succeeds."

_That's not good... _I thought as I looked at Sanya quickly.

"I agree," Minna said in response. "Because of that very reason, I'm going to set up a special unit specifically for night missions. Sanya."

"Ma'am?" Sanya asked.

"Miyafuji."

"Uh!" Yoshika said in surprise. "Yeah?"

"Starting immediately, the two of you will constitute the new night combat team."

"Are you really sure you want me?"

"You're the only other one with experience on this Neuroi," Mio pointed out.

"But…I only sat there and watched…"

Yoshika found her head being pushed down as Eila said, "I'd like to volunteer for night combat!"

"That's great," Minna said. "So Eila makes three total for the night patrol…"

"Hang on, commander?" I said quickly. "Count me in as well."

"Why exactly?" Mio asked.

"I never did a night mission since I got here, and I'd like to get some experience in that before it's too late. Besides…" I set my right hand on my chest. "If that Neuroi decides to pick on Sanya then it's going to get a huge ass-whooping!"

"I'm sorry," Sanya said as Minna started talking about reworking something out. "This is all my fault. I let the Neuroi get away."

"Hey, it's alright," I said as I rested a hand on her left shoulder. "Besides, you don't need to be alone. Especially not for the Neuroi."

Sanya looked at me, and I couldn't help but get the feeling that she wasn't feeling too normal right now. I looked at Eila, who was glaring at me like I did something she didn't approve of.

You think she's still not over the fact that she found me trying to carry Sanya back to her room?

I then watched her eyes wander to the hand on Sanya's shoulder.

Oh...right...

I sheepishly removed the hand from its resting place and simply decided to walk back to my quarters.

XXXXXXXXXX

The next day, when I got into the kitchen, I saw that there were three metal wireframe bowls holding…

"Blueberries?" I heard Perrine ask. "Why do we have so many?"

"My uncle ships them here all the way from our farm back home," Lynette replied as she brought in a fourth bowlful. "Blueberries are supposed to be really good for your eyesight."

"Let's eat!" Erica said as she started on her bowlful of blueberries.

"Yes, it's true," Gertrud added. "In Britannia all the night pilots eat blueberries. It's likely they discovered their benefits as well."

"That's nice to hear," I said with a slight smile. It was something healthy, and it wasn't nattō beans for once.

I grabbed a small bowl that was nearby, filled it up with blueberries, sat at the table and ate. I managed to eat it all in about two minutes. Within that time, I had seen Francesca ask Yoshika and Charlotte to stick out their tongues before bursting out laughing, turned my head in time to see Eila play a trick on Perrine involving pulling the corners of her mouth back to reveal the ace's teeth. This was followed by Mio saying something about moderation, and Perrine and Eila got into a brief argument.

"Man," I sighed as I ate the last of the blueberries. "Fresh fruit certainly is better."

Soon after, Mio had the ones doing night patrol head back to bed, something I could understand: after all, what was a night patrol if you weren't able to stay awake for it?

XXXXXXXXXX

There was a sign on a door in the base that read _Sanya's Room…and Temporary Office for Night Patrol_.

What? Why was there a sign that read that?

I had gotten the wise idea after thinking about what would happen if I had to get out early to use the bathroom…Besides, it was better than it being written in Japanese (Sorry, Fuso. I can't read that considering my background.).

"But we just woke up…" Yoshika said as she tried comprehending why we were to be sleeping now. "And did they really have to come and cover the windows up too?"

"They probably want us to get used to the dark," Eila said as she was looking at something.

The girls were on the lone bed, Sanya curled up and holding a stuffed animal near her. Yoshika was sitting on the edge of the bed while Eila was closer to the window, lying on her stomach. I found refuge on the floor, lying down as I stared at the darkened room's ceiling. I was lucky to have brought a blanket and a pillow...and a spare blanket for me to lay on. I also brought along my sleepwear and had changed into my fatigues and shirt under my blanket.

"Sorry they turned your room into such a dark cave, Sanya," Yoshika said to the Orussian girl.

"They didn't," Sanya replied as she looked at Yoshika. "This is how I like my room."

"Oh, really?" Yoshika found a folded piece of paper and picked it up. "Hey, this is some type of talisman."

"Talisman?" Eila asked as she sat up.

"Some people think they're good luck charms that scare away ghosts."

_Ghosts, huh?_ I said to myself as I looked at Sanya. _Why does she have one of those?_

"People sometimes mistake me for a ghost," Sanya said.

"Yeah? Because you're always flying around at night?"

Sanya disagreed. "Happens a lot during the day. They say they can't tell if I'm really there or not."

Well, considering that you're usually accompanied by Eila during the day, with the Suomos Witch carrying you around while you sleep for some odd reason, it's hardly difficult to not tell if she was there or not. Then again, I don't exist in the original, so I don't have any room to talk.

"Don't listen to anything Miss Priss Four-Eyes says," Eila added. "If you're bored, I've got Tarot Cards."

"Tarot Cards?" Yoshika and I asked at once, me standing on my knees.

"It's fortune-telling. I can use my magic to see into the future."

XXXXXXXXXX

"I can't see very far though…" Eila added as Yoshika picked one of seven cards lying on the bed. "Now, let's see…" She leaned in toward Yoshika to see her card. "Well. This is good! You're going to see someone you've been longing to see."

Yoshika was happy at first, but she soon became sad. She said that the person she wanted to see wasn't coming back.

Ordinarily I would have pried into who it was, but I knew when it was time to just wait. Besides, it wouldn't have worked for me either: I was longing to see my family again, but I knew that wouldn't be happening anytime soon.

"I see," Eila said as she fell backward to lie down. "I don't know what to tell you then."

I watched as Yoshika looked at a calender that showed the current month along with a red circle over a certain date. However, I didn't think about it too much right now: watching Eila and Yoshika gave me an idea...

"Hey, Eila?" I asked the Suomos Witch. "You mind doing mine? Just out of curiosity?" Yeah, I was considering the risks of it: if the card I selected hinted at something about a falsehood then I better hope no one tries to get me to spill the truth.

"Sure, lieutenant," Eila replied as she sat up, grabbed her deck of Tarot cards, and laid out seven more cards. I picked the one next to the rightmost card, and Eila looked at it. She furrowed her eyebrows as she tried to decipher it.

"Well?" I asked, sounding a little nervous.

"Um, this is a little interesting...it seems that you are going to bring balance to the lives of many. I would have to say that it seems to be the team right now." She looked at me. "That's the best I can do with you, though."

"Uh...thanks." I went to lie back down on the floor. I covered up and closed my eyes, enjoying the time I had to pretend that I was Francesca.

I wonder what picture she had seen...

XXXXXXXXXX

I was barely waking up about who knows how much later when the announcement of the approximate time was made by our very own Francesca.

"Time to wake up!" Francesca said as from the other side of the door that read _Sanya's Room…and Temporary Office for Night Patrol._ "It's night!"

I sat up sleepily and rubbed my eyes.

"Night already?" I asked. I finally got to sleep in for the daytime for the first time ever! Though my body felt rather...stiff.

Standing up, I stretched as the girls woke up.

XXXXXXXXXX

"It's dark in here," Yoshika pointed out as she took a seat next to Lynette at the table.

"Really?" I asked, still tired. I had found a seat between Minna and Charlotte.

Lynette nodded in the affirmative. "They said it's to help adjust your eyes during nighttime missions."

"What's this?" Yoshika indicated a teacup filled with what could only be described as "tea". We'll stick with that label for now.

"It's a special marigold herbal tea," Perrine said as the answer. "I heard that it can help your eyesight just as much as blueberries."

"Oh, really?" Lynette asked. "I heard that it was an old wives' tale…"

Perrine was offended by it, saying that the secret recipe was her grandmother's. Lynette, in return, apologized.

"Isn't it all old wives' tales nowadays?" I asked as I picked up the cup and sniffed the contents. I had some memories of old wives' tales before I was thrown into this mess.

Unfortunately for me, Perrine hadn't calmed down completely from her debate with Lynette, and soon I was apologizing as well, but only because I didn't want to feel her fist against my head.

One problem: I made the mistake of saying "Okay, they're not all old wives' tales. Some are young wives' tales, I guess…"

This response earned me a slap in the back of the head powerful enough to send my face into the table.

"Okay, I think I deserved that one…" I said in a muffled voice, me now being the proud owner of an aching head.

XXXXXXXXXX

A while later (after I let the pain of having my face be sent into a table by force disappear), and everyone was seated at the table, with Yoshika noting, "This smells like sancho…"

"Sancho?" Lynette asked as they both stared into their cups.

_Um, Yoshika...?_ I asked myself, trying to formulate a question that would make sense. _What the hell is sancho?_

"Lynne and Yoshika," Francesca asked as she popped up on Yoshika's right. "Stick out your tongues."

When they all did that, Francesca started complaining that her tongue looked like a normal tongue.

"She's got a point," Eila said as she sipped her tea.

Perrine, who was annoyed at Francesca's actions, turned to glare at Eila.

Sanya drank her tea as Yoshika apologized that she was just trying to be helpful.

Apparently, she didn't like it, as indicated by her sticking out her tongue a little.

Neither did I: I wasn't really a big tea-drinker. I mean, I can drink it, but it had never been something I particularly liked.

XXXXXXXXXX

"My hands won't stop shaking," Yoshika said as we all stood on the runway, all of us ready for our night patrol.

"Why?" I asked as I powered up my Striker Unit.

"I didn't think the sky would look this black at night."

I've seen darker...though then again I never really actually flown at night since I got here...

"Is this your first nighttime mission?" Eila asked.

"Do you wanna scrub it?" Sanya asked next.

"Will you both hold my hands?" Yoshika asked as she held up a shaking hand to look at it. "I'm sure I can do it if you hold my hand, Sanya…"

Sanya's little magical radio aura turned pink as she grabbed one of Yoshika's hands. Eila jumped to the other side, grabbed Yoshika's other hand, and said, "Okay, let's get going."

Unfortunately, Yoshika wasn't ready, and she spent most of the time down the runway screaming in fear as she started up her Unit. I followed close behind.

About two minutes later, and we were above the dark clouds.

"It's beautiful," Yoshika said as she flew on her own. "I never would have made it up here on my own! Sanya, Eila. Thank you!"

Eila smiled slightly as she looked back.

"It's our job," Sanya simply said.

I lied on my back in mid-air.

"Ah," I said as I flew there, whatever exposed flesh I had feeling the cool air washing over it. "This feels great. Maybe I should do this more often."

I then flew directly above a cloud and ran my left hand through it. Probably not a very good idea considering the height I was at and the fact that it was nighttime. With a newly-freezing hand, I flew back up to the others and noted Sanya's animal feature, which looked like those of a cat. I think it was a domestic black one...or maybe dark gray.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Alright, this particular chapter is now done.**

**As usual, please read and respond. Thanks.**


	10. We're the Same (Part 2)

**Hello, and welcome to the next chapter of "Strike Heroes".**

**Now, before we get going into the story, you guessed it...review-responding:**

_fuji92_**: I probably won't be disappointing at this point. I can't guarantee that (have to let the readers decide whether the chapter's disappointing), but I will do my best to make the story interesting.**

_Dragonman75_**: Thanks. Now, as far as the story and the events are concerned, I have explained in the first chapter that this was going to be a fusion of alternate and canon. Not sure how well that's going so far, but I used the episodes for a reference. It was a challenge in itself (had to replay segments to check the dialogue), but so far it's paying off. However, after this arc concludes, expect some more original ideas. But don't fret: I'll still use the episodes as a basis.**

**As for me being the better writer...I'm fairly certain that there's someone else out there who's better than me. However, I do appreciate the compliment.**

**Anyways, enjoy the conclusion to the Eila-and-Sanya arc.**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 10: We're the Same (Part 2)**

The next morning, Perrine and I were staring at the inside of a small cup of something in front of each of us.

"What's this?" Perrine asked as she stared at it.

Yoshika, who was just walking past with a big bottle, said something about it being liver oil and being good for eyesight and temperament.

_Temperament?_ I asked myself as I picked up the cup and stared at the contents, my right eye doing the examining.

"It smells kinda fishy," Erica said as she examined her cupful.

"It's fish oil," Gertrud told her. "The nutritious benefits should more than outweigh the difficult flavor."

"Ah," I said as I continued staring at the cup's contents. Um...what kind of fish are we talking about?

Perrine laughed, making me look at her.

"Are we back in kindergarten, Yoshika?" she asked. "What an absurd choice."

Are we back in...?

I opened my mouth to say something, but someone else beat me to it.

"Is that so?" Mio, who was behind her, asked Perrine. "I'm the one who brought it."

This screwed Perrine up completely.

I, however, couldn't stop laughing.

Okay, I was laughing mentally, but I was trying not to burst out into laughing. Instead, I gave off a few quick sniggers.

_Man,_ I said as I stopped my internal laughter. _I can't believe she didn't see that coming!_

"I love fish oil!" Perrine, probably not wanting to get on Mio's bad side, said as she grabbed the cup and drank it in one sitting (or was it standing because she was on her feet?).

Unfortunately, she didn't like it, and Francesca agreed a few seconds later.

"Ew!" she said as she held the cup away from her. "What's this?"

"Tastes pretty similar to engine lubricant," Charlotte added as she tasted it.

_It tastes similar to engine lubricant?_ I asked myself. Okay, anybody else starting to question what exactly Charlotte does in her (what I would probably call) "tinkering time"?

Eila and Sanya didn't like it either; in fact, Eila was busy trying to get the taste out of her mouth by spitting.

"I was forced to drink this as a cadet," Mio informed us, "and I couldn't stand it either."

"I couldn't agree with you more…" Perrine said as she stayed there, trying to not fall to the floor.

"Another round?" Minna asked, the only one who actually liked it, as she waved her empty cup. I noticed Erica looking at her commander as if she was crazy for wanting more.

I looked at my cup and drank it. Soon, I found myself coughing badly.

Okay, I have to agree with the major on this one...and it's probably a good time to learn how to consume disgusting foods and drinks...starting with this one...

XXXXXXXXXX

Yoshika sighed ase found ourselves back in the room designated _Sanya's Room...and Temporary Office for Night Patrol_. I found myself feeling queasy, and it's probably no wonder: I had a second cup of that fish liver oil alongside Minna (to the surprise of everyone else), and I think I was feeling like paying the consequences now...

Probably didn't help that I was sitting with my back against the bed as I sat on the floor.

"Um…Eila and Sanya, where are the two of you from before all this?" the little Fuso Witch asked.

"I'm from Suomos," Eila told her.

"Orussia," Sanya added.

"Oh," Yoshika replied. "Where are those again?"

Eila lifted her head to look at Yoshika. "Suomos is in the northern part of Europe. Orussia is in the east."

Okay...quick reference to my world's version...Russia and...I guess either Sweden, Norway, or Finland...hard to tell.

"Alright," Yoshika replied. "Wasn't most of Europe destroyed by the Neuroi during the first round of attacks?"

"Yes," Sanya told her. "The city I lived in fell a long time ago."

"What happened to your family?"

"When the Neuroi came, they fled the city and took shelter further east. Over the Ural Mountains."

"Thank goodness for that…"

"What's so good about that?" Eila asked her as they sat up. "Don't you hear what she's telling you?"

"Well, they may be far apart right now, but at least they can get back together someday."

"Orussia is a huge place. Past the Ural, it's dozens of times the size of Fuso." Eila laid back down. "It's not so easy to find people once you lost them. Besides, there's a Neuroi Hive between here and there."

"I see what you mean, but I'm still a little jealous…"

Eila sat up quickly. "You're kinda stubborn, aren't you?"

"You don't understand. What I mean is: you wanna see your family again, right, Sanya?"

"Yes," Sanya replied.

"Well, I bet they wake up every morning, just like you, thinking and wondering about the day you'll be reunited as a family."

"Yes."

"If neither of you ever gives up, then someday you'll have to be together again. It must be so wonderful to think that way."

"I have to agree," I said as I held my stomach and groaned. "Ugh...I think fish liver oil is going to be the end of me...Anyways, it's important not to forget your family." Who knows? If I can outlast this season then I'll help Sanya with finding her family. No matter what.

Yoshika blinked as she looked at me. "Roland-kun, are you feeling alright?"

"Yeah. Just an upset stomach right now..."

"Hang on." Yoshika climbed down and sat next to me. "You want me to help you?"

"I think I'm good, thanks..." I stood up and walked about a foot until I found my makeshift bed for this room. I then lied down and covered myself with the blanket I wasn't sleeping on. "Now, good night, you three."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Ugh," I said as we got out of the room for the night. "My body feels stiff all of a sudden…" I remembered something about getting "bed sores" (or whatever the word is for sleeping inside a bed for too long), and somehow I don't particularly enjoy it that well. Luckily, my stomach didn't hurt as much.

"Why don't we go to the sauna?" Eila suggested.

"Sauna?" Yoshika and I asked.

"Come on, you've never been to a sauna before?"

I looked at Yoshika before shaking my head. "Uh, no?"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Um, Eila?" Yoshika asked as she lied on the top of a bench in the sauna. "This is getting really boring…"

Eila and Sanya were sitting on the bench's seat, while I sat on the part Yoshika was on. We each had a white towel covering parts of our bodies, though mine looked like a kilt. That, and I was handed a second towel by Eila, and instead of arguing I simply used it, so that was covering my chest.

Okay, before we continue with this, I know that one could compare this to the bath we have on base, but there are a few key differences: one is that at least the girls are using towels (no being shocked unconscious, thank you), and another is that Mio wasn't in here. Though I'm trying to figure out who exactly uses this facility.

"In Suomos," Eila started to explain, "we want saunas more than baths."

I looked at Eila as she explained this fact, and somehow I could understand: the steam...right? Hang on, how does that even make sense when put with Yoshika's comment?

"Sanya, your skin is so white…" Yoshika said as she looked at Sanya.

"Hey! What are you looking at?" Eila asked as I saw her stick her head in Yoshika's vision. She was sounding like she was trying to protect Sanya.

"Nothing! She just has really pretty skin." Yoshika looked a little past Eila in order to study Sanya some more.

Eila was now getting really upset. "Stop looking at Sanya like that!"

"Geez," I said as I sat there. "Calm down, Eila. She's just trying to be friendly…"

_I think…_ I added in my head. After that incident with Charlotte I wasn't too sure about things like that.

Feeling bored, I tried to let my aura -reading power wander. However, I think Eila was sensing me about to use it and decided to stop me. "Don't even try it, lieutenant."

"Try what?" I asked as I powered down my magic. She was really good at foreseeing my actions, dammit.

XXXXXXXXXX

After the sauna, the girls went to take a bath, leaving me alone. To deal with it, I decided to return to my room and relax before takeoff. I wasn't too sure about how long I was in there, but I did sense someone at my room's door as I decided to read one of the letters I had written.

"Huh?" I asked myself as I put the paper inside my left leg dressed in my equipment again, I opened the door to find Minna standing there.

"Good evening, lieutenant," she said.

I blinked quickly. What was she doing here? "Uh, hi. Is there something you want to tell me?"

"I just wanted to talk. Can I come in?"

"Hmm? Oh yeah, sure."

Minna entered my room and sat on my bed, me following her lead and taking a seat next to her. "Kinda simple, isn't it?"

"It works for me." I hadn't exactly spruced the place up, so it was difficult for it to look like Yoshika's or anything. Yeah, I had a dresser for spare sleepwear, the swim trunks that had been torn from the last time we went to the beach for training, and my military outfit (which I need my slacks replaced) and a small night table for the lamp I had, but other than my bed that was it. As far as weapons went, I only had the crowbar and the sword in here, resting on the dresser: the BAR and Browning HP were with the other guns.

"I can't argue with that. Hey, Roland, why are you not with Miyafuji and them?"

"They went to go take a bath outside or something or other..."

"I see. Roland?"

"Yeah, ma'am?"

"You can drop the formalities for now, Roland. I just wanted to talk normally, without any sort of formal procedure."

"I'm free to speak my mind?"

"If you wish."

Should I tell her about the fact that I come from another world where this is only a show for our entertainment? I mean, how would she respond? I shouldn't have these powers due to being born inside a world away from this one, but how can I have them here but not there? Why am I trying to hurt my brain trying to figure out this "paradox"?

"Minna?" I asked.

"What is it, Roland?" Minna replied.

"Do you…believe in other worlds?"

"Well, what makes you ask that?"

"See…these Neuroi just came out of nowhere, right? To me, there has to be other worlds out there that support life. I mean, maybe that's the question I should be asking."

"Do I think there's life out there? Since the Neuroi came, I think that there has to be other forms of life out there."

This was rather interesting. I was having an intellectual discussion with Minna, who looked beautiful…and I think the blush returned, for she was laughing now. "What?"

"Nothing." Minna stopped laughing. "It's just that you're acting a little strange right now."

"Strange? You don't know the half of it." You really don't: I could tell you all about what I know of my world...well, what I should consider the version of Earth I remembered.

"I guess I don't, Roland." She stood on her feet and, as I stood up as well, gave me a light hug. The only thing I could do was put my hands on her back.

"Uh, Minna? What's the hug for?" I could feel my aura starting to copy Minna's magic.

"You can come to me for anything, alright? If you want to talk, I'll listen."

"Uh…thanks for letting me know." Why did she hug me, though? And should I tell her my secret? Maybe she can help me out, but then again what if she doesn't believe me?

Minna let go, and I followed her lead in leaving the light embrace. I soon watched her walk out the door, giving me a quick glance before walking down the hall. I walked up to the doorway and watched her for a bit. Somehow, I thought I saw a hint of sadness in her eyes as she glanced at me.

XXXXXXXXXX

Yoshika flew over Sanya as we were in our patrol and said, "Hey, guess what? You'll never guess, but today's my birthday!"

"Really?" I asked as I blinked in surprise. "Happy birthday then, Yoshika."

How did I forget that this was around the time Yoshika turned fifteen?

"Why didn't you tell us it was?" Eila asked her.

"I usually ignore it because that was the day my father died," Yoshika said, sounding slightly sad.

My body felt a slight chill.

_So that's what she meant when she said that the person she wanted to see wouldn't come!_ I thought quickly. Then again, I should have seen it coming, but I wasn't around for the events of the first two episodes to confirm that what she said was so. Besides, I needed to keep in character.

"It's a long story, and I didn't want to explain it to everyone," Yoshika added.

Eila flew next to and above Yoshika. "Well, that's just plain stupid. If it's your birthday, then we're obligated to have some fun, right?"

"Are you sure about that?"

"Of course!"

"I agree," I said as I flew in closer. "Birthdays are the times to celebrate life for a specific person."

Sanya flew between Yoshika and Eila.

"Miyafuji," she said. "I want you to listen closely. Roland, you too."

"Um," Yoshika said carefully. "Okay."

Soon, our radios started buzzing with radio signals. Talk shows, music, anything on the radio.

"Hey!" she said in surprise. "I can hear something!"

"It's the radio," Eila explained.

"At night," Sanya added, "the sky's quiet, so I can pick up radio waves from distant places over the horizon."

"That's amazing!" Yoshika said quickly in cheerfulness. "I had no idea you can do that!"

"Yes, it keeps me company when I'm flying at night."

"Must be really lonely up here sometimes, huh?" I asked her.

Eila flew close to Sanya and said, "I thought this was our little secret,"

"I'm sorry," Sanya told her, "but tonight is a special occasion."

"It's your magic. Do whatever you want." Eila flew downward as Yoshika flew closer to Sanya.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Is something up?" I added.

"You'll see," Sanya told us.

Eila flew between Sanya and Yoshika. "Tonight just also happens to be…"

Suddenly, Sanya's antennae started flashing different colors, and she noticed the problem.

"What?" Eila asked quickly as she noticed Sanya's surprise. "What is it?"

"It's a song," Yoshika said, listening to the noise around us.

My powers were working overtime right now: whatever I copied from Minna could feel a presence, and my aura powers could feel Sanya starting to get worried.

"But how could…?" Sanya tried asking.

Soon, we all stopped, me ready to fight by placing my right hand on the strap of the BAR on my back.

"It sounds like…" Sanya said.

"Is it the Neuroi, Sanya?" Eila asked.

Yoshika started panicking. "The Neuroi? Where?"

"Calm yourself," I told her.

"You need to leave right now!" Sanya said before taking off higher into the air.

"Sanya, wait!" I said as I powered my Striker Unit harder in order to catch up.

The Neuroi fired a shot that, while it missed Sanya, managed to obliterate the Striker Unit on her left leg. I barely managed to put on the brakes before the blast.

"Sanya!" Eila shouted as she and Yoshika followed my lead.

Eila caught Sanya as I entered a defensive stance, ready to cast a barrier if necessary. I floated next to them.

"You idiot," Eila said to her friend. "Why fight him alone?"

"The enemy is after me," Sanya told her. "I can feel it." She tightened her grip on Eila's shirt. "You have to get away from me. If you're here…"

"Come on, what are you talking about?"

"We can never do that!" Yoshika added.

Sanya looked at them. "Please go…"

I put on a look of determination. _If this bastard of a Neuroi wants Sanya so bad…_

I grabbed the BAR off my back and sighted down the barrel, my Striker Unit humming more noisily as I hovered there.

…_then it's going to have to get through me!_

Eila grabbed Sanya's weapon and set it in her right hand, her left hand holding her own weapon.

"You can't see it!" Yoshika told us.

"Sanya is going to tell us where that Neuroi is hiding," Eila told her as she looked back. "After that, I'll be able to predict the enemy's movement short-term with my magic, so I'll be fine. You are not the same as that thing, Sanya. It might be alone, but you've got us! Together, we can't be defeated."

Yoshika, who was now having the Orussian girl on her back to keep her aloft, smiled at Sanya, who looked concerned as she gave off the position and the distance. Soon, according to her, the Neuroi closed in, and Eila fired off a barrage of rocket while I shot a flurry of bullets at it. At the same time, the Neuroi fired, and luckily it missed us as it passed by underneath.

As it passed by under us, Eila asked if she missed.

"No," Sanya told her. "It's decelerating. It's sustained heavy damage."

"Perfect," I replied as I saw the sudden streak of red in the clouds.

"It's coming back!"

"Oh no you don't!" Eila shouted as she fired off a second barrage.

The Neuroi dodged each shot quickly.

"It dodged it!" Yoshika cried out as she supported Sanya.

"Dammit, show yourself!" Eila demanded as she fired off a final shot that nailed the Neuroi. As it screamed, I reloaded my gun.

"It's there!" Eila said before it decided to charge at them.

As Eila and I fired our guns at the incoming Neuroi, Sanya said, "Eila, Roland, stop. Get out of here!"

"There's no time!"

The Neuroi's armor started to chip away as Eila and I saw a barrier form in front of us.

"Good thinking, Miyafuji!" Eila said as she noticed that we were floating in front of her.

"I've got this!" Yoshika announced. "We're not gonna lose to that thing!"

"'Cause we're a team!"

"That's right!" I shouted in determination.

I looked back at Sanya, who looked like she couldn't believe it, as I reached for another clip. Soon, I watched as she grabbed Yoshika's gun and readied it.

Soon, Sanya fired at the Neuroi, adding to our barrage of bullets as I refocused on it. I soon ran out of ammo for the BAR, and I slung it back on my back as I readied my pistol and continued firing at it.

Between the bullets we were all firing into it, the Neuroi had no chance of winning, its core being destroyed as soon as it was exposed.

Luckily, Yoshika's barrier held up or else we would have been killed by the sudden burst of particles zooming past us.

After a while of silence, everyone was floating there. Then a song played on our radios.

"I can still hear it," Eila said.

"Why?" Yoshika asked. "Didn't we destroy it?"

"That's not it," I said as I looked at Sanya.

"That's my father's piano," Sanya replied.

Sanya's lone half of the Unit activated, and she flew up toward the moon.

"I see," Yoshika realized. "The radio. It's reaching to us from down there. Wherever he is, it's a miracle."

"To be expected really," Eila noted.

"Huh?"

"After all, it is Sanya's birthday too. Technically yesterday, but you know…"

"It's the same day as mine?"

"What better way for a father to celebrate his daughter's birthday then to play the song he wrote to her? That kind of love will last for moments like this. For those who are open to feel it. It's no miracle."

"Eila, you're so nice."

"No, I am not. Idiot."

"Idiot?"

I smiled slightly. I loved it when people showed a more gentle side when they usually act all disciplined or rude. It's nice to see someone act like the opposite of what they're usually like.

I then looked at Sanya one last time. She looked like she was at peace.

XXXXXXXXXX

I woke up the next day inside the kitchen.

Well, technically I wasn't sleeping…rather, I was napping at the table until the morning.

News of both Yoshika's and Sanya's birthdays had spread across the team, and later in the evening, about two hours after eating dinner, I was eating cake.

_The cake is a lie._

I smiled when I remembered that.

That same feeling that the Rat Man had was almost the opposite of mine. In fact, I felt like I had earned more friends.

Even if Eila doesn't really think we are.

Sanya, on the other hand…

"Hey, Roland?" Sanya asked as she tapped my right shoulder gently.

"What is it, Sanya?" I asked as I turned to face her.

She had a second plate with cake on it, which confused me greatly.

"Huh?" I asked.

"This is for you," Sanya said, setting it in front of me.

Usually, I only got one piece of cake. Two pieces was rather unheard of for me.

"I'm not too sure…" I said, placing my left hand on the plate as if to push it away.

"This is for you helping me last night," she explained. "Everyone helped out, but you never received anything for your help."

"Um, Sanya?" Now I was embarrassed. "I don't mind helping. Also, it's nice that you're willing to give me a second piece, but I didn't really do much. All I did was fire my weapons at the Neuroi..."

_Wait…_ I thought as I remembered what I told her when I volunteered for the patrol.

"_Besides, you don't need to be alone. Especially not for the Neuroi."_

_That still wasn't much,_ I added. I looked at Sanya, whose eyes looked like she was pleading like a cute puppy. Either that, or my sanity chose now to break.

_Maybe it was enough for her,_ I added in reply as a slight smile crept onto my face.

"Besides," Eila said as she came up behind me. "You can't say no to more cake. Even if it's given to you by one of the birthday girls…"

Chuckling, Eila grabbed my fork, cut off a piece, and nearly ran it down my throat. I, in surprise, coughed up the piece and was wheezing now.

"Eila," I started. "That's not a *KAFF* good way to *KAFF* feed some-*KAFF*-one cake *KAFF KAFF*!"

"Well, it got you going, didn't it?"

"That's not the point *KAFF*."

I grabbed a cup of water that was located nearby and drank the entire content, breathing deeply.

"Let me guess..." I said as I looked at Eila. "Is this...in retaliation...for me volunteering...for the night patrol?"

Eila gave off a mischievous grin, and I somehow found myself gulping.

"Let's…try this…again," I said hesitantly as I took my own piece off of it and placed it in my mouth.

Soon, I was done with my second piece of cake, which made Sanya smile slightly.

No one noticed it except me and Eila.

And hopefully it would stay that way.

XXXXXXXXXX

_**Dear Letter,**_

_**Yep, still writing letters. I can't help it: it keeps me busy, right?**_

_**Anyways, you're probably wondering what I did this time.**_

_**Well, for starters I did some night patrol and nearly got killed by a Neuroi that was going after Sanya. In case you forgot, Sanya's the one who wasn't seen much.**_

_**What was stranger was that Yoshika and Sanya both had the same birthday, which made it easy: one cake for both.**_

_**Well, one large cake.**_

_**Hey, try explaining to Perrine that a small cake works wonders.**_

_**Anyways, as for my analysis, I managed to study Sanya at night and found this: she's great at her position.**_

_**I mean, think about it: she's usually tired, which translates into being up all night. Plus, it's rather…quiet for her.**_

_**Perfect, really.**_

_**Eila? I guess she's a jokester or something. Can't be too certain until I can see her doing more things. All I have so far to go on is her reference to Lynne's breasts being bigger than Yoshika's (back when I first got here) and her little blueberries stunt with Perrine. Oh, and her ramming a cake almost halfway down my throat.**_

_**Ah…I'm tired, so I guess it's goodnight for now.**_

_**Signed, **_**Roland Sage**

_**P.S.: I am not doing night patrol for a while. Minna said that I need a break from it.**_

XXXXXXXXXX

_Roland: Next time on **Strike Heroes**-_

_Minna: It's nothing special, Roland. We're just going to get Erica's medal and do a few things._

_Roland: Well, it's still nice to get out to places._

_Lynette: I have a question..._

_?: I see that Roland is a good team member for the team._

_Roland: Uh, who is she?_

_Minna: We don't have time to answer that._

_Roland: But I've never seen her before-_

_Lynette: Next time on **Strike Heroes...**_

_?: **...Nice and Breezy.**_

_Roland: Goddammit, who the hell is she...and did I just get a sudden chill from a breeze?_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**There's the next chapter.**

**As usual, please read and respond. Thanks.**


	11. Nice and Breezy (Part 1)

**Alright, I'm back with the next chapter of "Strike Heroes".**

**Now, as usual, let's answer the reviews:**

_fuji92_**: Don't worry. I figured out a good character that will be the mystery character. You'll have to wait to find out who it is near the end of this part.**

_Dragonman75_**: See my reply to **_fuji92_** as far as the mystery character is concerned. As for the positive review, thanks. As I said, hopefully I keep your interest until the end. Same goes for the others reading this, new or old.**

**Okay, with that out of the way, it's time to answer some questions: what exactly is Roland going to see? Who is this mysterious person Roland can't recognize? How close is Roland to losing his grip on sanity?**

**Uh...don't hurt yourself with those questions. Sorry...**

**Anyways, let's get rolling!**

**XXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 11: Nice and Breezy (Part 1)**

Everything was nice and quiet in the morning.

Perfect for me, who had just seen Sanya flying back in from night patrol. The Orussian girl looked tired as she flew in, and I swore I saw her yawning as she passed by my vision as I walked to the door leading outside.

Now, I was enjoying the quietness of the great outdoors right here in the forest.

Or, at least, that was what I wanted to do, for I heard the fanfare sound off suddenly.

"Huh," I said to myself as I looked at the building behind me. "Wonder what all the big commotion is about…"

Usually I would be inside saying good morning to everyone, but, um…

Not exactly the best idea currently.

I found that out the hard way just last week.

Let's just say…everyone's got their own messy agenda when they wake up late.

"Good morning, lieutenant," I heard Mio say as she walked out of the woods.

"Morning, major," I replied.

I gave off a quick salute as a smile came across my face.

"I see you're quite chipper today, lieutenant," Mio added. "Why so?"

"Well," I said as I looked at the sky. "See, it was a rather odd time for me to get up, but I sometimes can't help but go out and feel nature. Except for the fricking bees…" Earlier in the morning, I had to spend some time running away from a swarm of honeybees who thought I was trying to steal their honey. I even swore some of them cursed me out. That was about an hour ago, but that was fun in itself… "…so, I guess you did some sword training?" I noticed that she had her katana with her.

"Yeah," she replied, placing a hand on the hilt of her katana. "Anyways, you better get back inside."

"Why?"

"Because Lieutenant Hartmann's commendation ceremony is this afternoon."

"Commendation? For what?"

"Two hundred and fifty kills. The design looks rather good, if I say so."

"I wish I could get a commendation for something. All I've got was a lot of issues I resolved…and a few other things." Yeah, I'm not sure what I've seen around the base so far could be considered a sort of reward for everything I've done...Come to think of it, the only really embarrassing thing I can admit was fainting at the sight of Charlotte in the bath...but then again Mio dragged me into it!

"We'll just have to wait and see about that. Now, why don't you head inside and say good morning to everyone?"

I saluted the major. "Yes, ma'am."

XXXXXXXXXX

As soon as I entered the hallway, I immediately remembered (while trying to figure out how I completely blew off the fact that I had learned why I didn't want to) why I wasn't willing to say hello when everyone was getting up in the morning: pandemonium.

The first one I saw was Yoshika, who opened her door and yawned. The little Fuso Witch was still in her sleepwear. She was also carrying a pillow.

"I overslept," she said. She sounded sleepy.

"Morning, Yoshika," I replied, giving off a slight smile.

"Morning, Roland-kun."

Soon, Perrine rushed by me, saying something about being late. As I watched Yoshika close the door again, I heard Perrine running back to her room after she said something about forgetting her glasses.

I continued walking until I found Minna walking past.

"Good morning, Roland," the commander told me.

"Morning, commander," I replied as I turned around and stepped in stride next to her.

"I see you're rather active this morning."

"You know, Mio—uh, I m-mean the major asked me the same thing." I placed my hands behind my head. "I wanted to listen to the quiet outdoors before the noise around here woke up." I _really_ hope she didn't pick up the fact that I called Mio by her first name and not "the major" or "Major Sakamoto". According to my memories, I don't think I asked about the major's first name.

"I see. Still a sort of outdoorsman?"

"Kinda. I guess you get used to the outdoors when you spend time in the air." Whew, she somehow didn't pick it up. Either that, or she did and pushed it to the back of her mind. It's hard to tell.

Soon, the two of us walked by Charlotte, who was busy brushing her teeth. She hadn't put on any real clothes yet, and I caught sight of a pink bra and pink panties.

"Good morning, Shirley," Minna said as she and I, now with a blush back on my face, passed by. Noticing my blush, she added "You alright, Roland? You look a little red…"

"You know what, commander?" I replied. "I've been here for a while, and I'm still unable to look one of you girls straight in the eyes when you have nothing but your undergarments on. I barely learned to accept you girls dressed the way you were. I guess it's just something I grew up with, you know? I mean, I understand that you guys don't need pants or anything, but still…"

"Ah. No real experiences with Witches?"

You don't know the half of it. "Yeah, I guess you could say that. Lieutenant Nova and Commander Ellios were the first Witches I actually worked with..."

Soon, we entered the lobby, where we found Lynette standing there, dressed and ready to go. She was eating a sandwich she must have made in a hurry. Somehow, she managed to make us a couple of sandwiches as well, which she bagged and held in her left hand while the sandwich she was eating was in her right.

"Morning, Commander Minna," Lynette said as she noticed us. "Morning, lieutenant."

"Morning, Lynne," we said as one.

"You ready to go?" Minna asked her.

Lynette nodded. "Yep. All set."

I think she noticed me eyeballing the sandwiches and answered my unspoken question: "I decided to make a sandwich for you and the commander, Roland."

"Oh," I said after blinking (damn, was I really staring at the sandwiches?). "Thanks, Lynne."

XXXXXXXXXX

"I'm glad you two decided to accompany me today," Minna said as we were driven inside a black limousine. She was sitting right across from me, Lynette next to her. I was sitting on the other side. Yeah, somehow it was one of _those_ limos.

Right, maybe I should explain what I was doing here: apparently, yesterday Minna swung by my room and informed me that she would like me to escort her and Lynette for the day. Kinda odd considering the fact that she's of a higher rank than me...but I'm not going to argue.

"It's no problem," Lynette said.

I simply nodded.

"Britannia is a lovely place to be for now, isn't it?" Minna asked.

"Ma'am?" Lynette replied as she was confused by what the captain said.

"It's so far away from all this…"

"You okay, commander?" I asked her. If she was acting this odd, then she must have something on her mind…

"It's nothing. So, Roland…how's life at the base so far?"

"It's not that bad, considering that I'm still holding on to my sanity. Barely..." Between the episode with Charlotte, the major, the sergeants, and the bath...the day Eila rammed cake down my throat...and the first meeting after Yoshika and I were inducted onto the team...I should have lost it by now.

"That's true. Seeing some things must have nearly driven you insane."

"You get used to it."

Sure you do. But I'm keeping that to myself.

"Roland?" Lynette said carefully. "Do you have a family back home?"

"Huh?" I asked.

Dammit, I was hoping to avoid that question. I couldn't just dodge it, but I didn't want to outright lie about it.

Okay, maybe I was lying right now by holding back the fact that I'm from a different world, but come on. What would you do if you had a lot of people who have never even seen a video game or a television set with actual colors? Maybe they have seen a television set with actual colors, but I'm not pressing my luck.

"See…" I started as I tried thinking of a way to say what I wanted to get across without giving up my cover. "My family was killed during the attack in the beginning of the Neuroi invasion. I don't quite know why, but I blacked out during the attack. I woke up inside a new town soon after, on an old bed in an abandoned orphanage. I signed up for the military soon after."

"I see…it must be sad to know that you'll never see them again."

Well, I wasn't too sure of that, but until I figured out a way to get home I had to assume that either they died or I died, and by "I died" I mean "I died in my world".

I think I said something that made Minna look at me, like she knew about what it felt like.

I couldn't recall why she looked at me like that, but I decided to change the topic. The faster we got off it, the better for me.

"Well," I said. "What about your family, Lynne?"

XXXXXXXXXX

Lynette and I sat in the limo as Minna went to pick up Erica's commendation medal.

I watched as Minna and the person who was holding it talked, and something Lynette said got my attention. Once I realized that I had no idea what she said.

"What did you say, Lynne?" I asked her as I turned my head to look at her.

"I was saying something about you looking at the commander," she informed me. "You seem to be looking at her intently..."

I raised an eyebrow. "And?"

"I was thinking...are you...you know...?"

"I know...what?"

We both looked at each other quickly before what she was trying to say actually clicked inside my mind.

_Are you...in love with her?_

"Oh no..." I said as I placed my right hand over my face. I slid it down to my chin and off my face. "You're thinking that?"

"Well..."

The door near me opened up, and Minna stepped inside, Erica's medal safely inside a small case.

"Roland, Lynne," Minna said as she sat down next to Lynne. "I hope I wasn't too long, was I?"

"It's alright, commander," I said with a slight smile.

"So...Lynne was saying something?"

"Oh!" I had to keep Lynette from trying to explain it to Minna. "She was saying something about how peaceful today is."

"Ah. I see..."

"So, where next?" I was feeling curious.

Minna knocked on the glass that separated us from the driver.

"Can you take us into the city, if possible?" she asked as the driver slid the glass window across.

"Sure thing, ma'am," the driver said in a male voice.

"Why are we heading into the city?" I asked as Minna closed the window for the driver.

Minna gave off a slight smile. "I thought that we'd do a few things..."

A few things?

XXXXXXXXXX

"I really don't know why we're even here," I said as I was voicing my opinion to Lynette and Minna.

We were standing outside a shop. Now, I know that there's a big question here somewhere, but the bigger one I actually had was concerning Minna's choice to be here.

"We're waiting for someone, lieutenant," Minna explained.

Waiting for someone my ass... "About how long before they get here?"

"Considering what I remember about the procedure she has to do, she could be a while."

She? Is this another Witch, and Minna wasn't going to tell me about her?

"I have to agree with Roland on this, ma'am," Lynette added. "Could you tell us who it is, commander?"

Minna looked at us and gave off a slight smile.

"You know," she remarked, "it's sometimes better to be surprised than to be well-informed."

Uh, commander? You _do _realize that...wait, you don't. My bad...

Keeping secrets suck...

"Well," I replied. "It's nice to have a little surprise in our day and all, but I hope we're not here all day for this one."

"Hope I wasn't keeping you long, Wilcke," a new voice said from somewhere.

I looked at Minna as she looked to my left, and I soon followed my gaze to find some lady walking toward us. She looked a little strange to me, with what I was assuming was a brown leather jacket with a fleece lining (I have no idea what it was for the lining, but it looked like it came from a sheep), black pants that somehow (right where the side pockets would be in a normal case) had cut-outs that revealed some of her legs, and black boots. I have no idea what type they are, so don't bother asking. Under the jacket was a gray shirt, and around her neck was some sort of scope bound by a chain, like a necklace. As far as I could make out, the scope looked like it was from a rifle, and there was some insignia I didn't catch. At least, I thought there was an insignia. As for physical features, I found myself thinking this one through for the build and found myself reminded of the commander herself somehow. Her hair went down to the middle of her back (I could tell by a few strands poking just out of sight), and she seemed to have what I could only guess as steel-colored eyes. Well, I wasn't saying that the entire eye was steel-colored; Only the irises were. Then again, I think we all know.

"Commodore," Minna said as she gave off a salute. Lynette and I (after trying to figure out why Minna was saluting this person) followed her lead.

"It's nice to see that you brought Sergeant Bishop along with you," the lady remarked. "I imagine that Hartmann's commendation ceremony is close?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Uh, who is she? I don't remember seeing her in the anime...now I'm feeling nervous. And why did Minna refer to her as "ma'am"?

"I also noticed that you brought one of the maintenance crew with you," the lady added as she glanced at me.

Maintenance crew...?

"Look, miss," I said, my pride piqued. Not the best move, but I couldn't let this lady just go ahead and assume that I was a part of the maintenace crew (don't really know anything about how to fix a Striker Unit, and I do not look like one of them). "I don't know who you are, but I am not a part of the maintenance crew back on base. I'm a member of the Five Hundred and First, and I'd like to be considered as one. Not that I have anything against our maintenance crew, but I am not one of them. I don't look the part, got it?"

After saying that, I noted the expression on the lady's face: blank. I couldn't even tell if she had been shocked or amused by what I said. However, when I looked at my teammates, I noticed that Lynette looked shocked beyond comprehension. Minna, however, looked calm about this.

"Uh, lieutenant?" the commander asked me. "You do realize that you're talking to Air Commodore Galland, right?"

I blinked as I turned to look first at the lady and then to Minna, then back to the lady. Air...Commodore...?

Um, where's that on the ranking...?

Oh...

OH SHIT!

"GAH!" I shouted as I turned and ran behind Minna, instantly embarrassed and trying to hide myself from the lady, now identified as an air commodore. "I am _so_ _EXTREMELY_ sorry, ma'am! I had _absolutely _no idea..."

Suddenly, the air commodore laughed, leaving me confused. Why was she laughing?

"It's okay," the lady replied. "You didn't know any better. Besides, you seem to have some guts in defending yourself."

"Uh...huh?" I asked carefully.

"Air Commodore Adolfine Galland. And you are...?"

"Hmm? Oh." I stepped out from behind Minna and cleared my throat. "I'm Lieutenant Roland Sage."

I don't remember her being in the anime...or at least the first season. Then again, Commander Ellios and Kayley weren't originally in the anime, and I definitely wasn't.

"I wasn't aware that a new Witch joined the Five-Oh-One," Adolfine said. "Especially a male one."

"Lieutenant Sage has been a great asset for the team so far," Minna told her. "His track record looks rather good."

"Really?" Adolfine examined me closely, circling me slowly. "He doesn't really look like a Witch, though. Especially with that vest." She tugged on my vest lightly.

"And that scope isn't something I would consider a Witch to carry around her neck," I pointed out.

"Touché. Seems like he's got a sense of being assertive."

"Only have it when it comes to what I consider to be a critical point. Though I don't like it when you start criticizing the way I dress." Not wanting to make it too bad, I added quickly, "Ma'am."

Adolfine let go of my vest and stepped back. "You remind me of myself a little. Commander?"

"Right," Minna explained. "Come on, you two."

"Where are we going?" I asked her.

"To get some parfait."

"Parfait?" I was a little surprised: we just met Adolfine (well, I did), and we're just now getting...parfait?

Meh...nothing wrong with parfait...rather great shop that carries it...

"That sound okay with you two?" Minna asked.

"Uh..." I started, but Lynette decided to cut me off.

"Of course, commander," the Britannian Witch finished for me.

"You coming along, commodore?" Minna asked Adolfine.

"Duh," the commodore said. "Besides, I really want to get to know the new guy a little better."

New guy? I've been around since...since...

Since...?

How long was I in the Strike Witches now?

"He's been around for a while," Minna simply told the commodore. "But you're welcome to ask him anything."

I simply nodded as we started walking. However, I stopped just as a sudden breeze blew past me. For some reason I couldn't put my fingers on, I felt a sudden chill go down my spine.

"Roland?" Lynette, who stopped and turned around to face me, asked in concern. "You feeling alright?"

"Huh?" I replied. "Oh. I'm fine, Lynne. Let's go have those parfaits!"

Now, what was it I'm missing right now...?

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**There's the next chapter.**

**I wanted to take some time to give a few notices: one, the mystery character...I was doing research on the Witches themselves when I found Galland's name. I had forgotten about the name until now, and when I thought about a character that Roland would probably not know about. So I ran Galland through my mind and after a while I decided that she would be the mystery character. Hope it was an interesting choice.**

**Second, the story itself...this particular arc may get a little off the topic, but I promise that once Part 2 is done that we are heading back to the season, though it's going to get a lot more complicated due to Roland's presence and the fact that there are still some unfinished business in the story. What they are I can't say, but keep an eye out.**

**Oh, and as usual please read and respond.**

**Thanks.**


	12. Nice and Breezy (Part 2)

**Hello, and welcome to the next chapter in "Strike Heroes".**

**Before we get going, we have a few things to cover. First, the reviews:**

_fuji92_**: I think I considered Hanna-Justina Marseille to appear, but I decided that it somehow wouldn't work out. So when I thought about it some more, I remembered running across Galland's name. So I found it again and, after reviewing it, decided to put her inside this particular arc. As for your wish...I've been thinking of that particular idea for a long time, since I started on Chapter 2 (Considering that Roland described himself as a "smitten idiot", the idea is strong).**

**Oh, and could you tell me who said that particular quote please? I don't think I ever heard it before...**

_Dragonman75_**: It's nice to know you feel that way. Just remember: I still have a few more things to cover, so hold on tight and keep letting me know how I'm doing.**

_Arisa Le Creuset (Guest)_**: Thanks. Roland would probably appreciate your thoughts on his predicament (though it's hard to be certain if he would).**

**Alright, with the reviews out of the way, it's time to continue the story...**

**XXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 12: Nice and Breezy (Part 2)**

"So tell me," Adolfine said as she and Lynette sat across from me and Minna, "how exactly did you end up in the Strike Witches?" The exact seating arrangement was Lynette and I on the outside and Adolfine and Minna on the inside.

We had bought some parfait, but we only had enough cash (I was the only source of money in the group: Adolfine evidently didn't have any money, Lynette forgot that she left hers in her room, and Minna admitted that she thought of the parfaits rather spontaneously) for two parfaits. So I got some strange idea and decided to make the orders the same: strawberry-banana parfaits with chocolate inside them. Now we were waiting for them to be done.

"Oh, me?" I asked in confusion. "Well...it's a rather quick story for that part..."

So I explained what had happened on the day I lost Commander Ellios.

"I see," Adolfine replied as she nodded her head. "Ellios seemed to have saw something in you, but why are you with the Five Hundred and First?"

"I can continue that," Minna added. "Ellios and I had made a promise to each other. When you forwarded me the dossier on Roland, I decided to go through with my promise."

"Dossier?" Adolfine blinked a little. "But I wasn't even aware that Lieutenant Sage was a Witch."

"Wait," Lynette asked as what Adolfine said was starting to make me think, "you mean that you sent a dossier about someone you weren't aware of?"

"Maybe it was a typo," Minna said.

Adolfine nodded and replied with, "I mean, I read the story, but it was a month after the _Ascension_ incident. Anyways," Adolfine looked at me. "You're the lieutenant that used that grenade to destroy the Neuroi that day?"

"Uh, yeah," I told her, still disturbed by what she said: how did Minna get my dossier when Adolfine didn't even send it? Besides, last I checked a typo would have messed Adolfine's name up or something. Either someone had absolutely no idea how to spell it and decided to look for someone else whose name they could spell...or there's something I wasn't aware of.

"There's something I learned today. The story never mentioned whether you were male or female. Then again, Witches are generally female."

"Your parfaits are ready," a lady said as she placed the parfaits on the table, one in front of me and Minna while the other sat in front of Lynette and Adolfine.

"Oh, here," I said as I reached into my pocket to pay the lady. However, she decided to stop me.

"No need to do it, sir. It's on the house." The lady then walked off.

On the house? Why?

I then looked at the girls I was with.

Ah...the company I'm with...I think...

"This looks odd, lieutenant," Adolfine said as she examined the parfait.

"May look like it," I said as I grabbed a spoon. "However, strawberries and bananas go well together. For me, at least."

"I can agree with you, Roland," Lynette said. Realizing what she said, she instantly blushed as she stuttered with, "I-I-I mean, lieutenant."

Adolfine looked like she was about to say something about it, but I stopped her.

"Let her," I replied. "I gave Lynne permission a while back when I first got here."

Adolfine nodded, though she was probably a little irked that I had told her that. I couldn't help but wonder if it was because I had let Lynette call one of her superiors by (in my case) his first name. Then again...

"Anyways," Minna said as she too grabbed a spoon. "Let's eat, ma'am."

We ate our parfait for a minute before Adolfine decided to say something.

"Hey, Roland?" she asked. "How did you deal with your time in the Strike Witches?"

Blushing slightly, I told her what had happened. About Lynette and her first Neuroi kill. About Gertrud and her close call with death. About Charlotte breaking the sound barrier. About my time in the night patrol. I was careful to leave out anything about my past as well as the things I had seen that I wanted to forget, especially that time I fainted inside the bath after seeing Charlotte...

I reached in and scooped up a bit of parfait with my spoon, and I watched as Minna used her spoon to follow my lead. However, I felt our hands brush against each other lightly as I was pulling out my portion.

"You seem easily embarrassed," Adolfine noted as I got a little redder around the cheeks.

"It's how the lieutenant is," Minna said in response. "It's hard to be one of the few male magic-users in the Witch Corps."

"Witch Corps?" I asked the commander. They had an actual group consisting of Witches (and others like me)?

"Of course," Adolfine replied. "You're a part of it. Well, officially now that I think about it."

"But how can that be?"

"I can answer that one," Lynette decided to insert. "When you joined the Five Hundred and First alongside Yoshika, you became a part of the Corps. All it has are Witches."

"Like the Army, Navy, and Air Force?"

"Pretty much," Minna replied. "Air Commodore Galland is the head of the Witch Corps."

"Really? Guess you really _do_ learn something new every day."

"Uh, heads up, lieutenant," Adolfine told me as she pointed behind me. "We've got some company."

I turned around and saw that there was a guy walking toward us. The way he was dressed struck me as strange: he wore blue jeans, I was assuming a pair of biker boots (not with high heels, mind you), a black leather jacket, and some black leather gloves. As far as physical features went, he had black hair, blue eyes, and a rather muscular build. If I wasn't mistaken, he looked like he was one of those biker stereotypes.

"Hey there," the man said as he stopped a little behind me. "You four were talking about the Witch Corps?"

"Uh, yeah..." I said hesitantly. I closed my eyes and felt his aura. I couldn't be clear about his color, but I aura-watched as he slid into the booth behind me and Minna.

"Well, that sounds rather impressive. I mean, a male Witch in the Corps?"

"There's not a whole lot, though," Adolfine pointed out. "Then again, male magic-users are considered weaker than female magic-users."

I felt myself gritting my teeth. It's hard to be forgetful of the fact that I feel like I was an exception. No matter what, I had to be one of the weaker Witches on the team. Not sure who's weaker, but I had to be one of them.

"Really?"

A flash of red appeared in his aura.

XXXXXXXXXX

_Lynette's POV_

Commodore Galland and I watched in horror as the man who was chatting with us suddenly grabbed Commander Minna, wrapping his left arm around her neck to keep her from moving.

"Commander!" I shouted as the commander's hands dashed to the man's arm to try prying it off.

"Wilcke!" Commodore Galland added as she made to get up.

"No one move," the man said as he brandished a knife and held it under Commander Minna's chin, "or this one gets it."

"I'm fine," the commander told us before the man stopped her. "Uh!"

"Quiet!" He then looked at us. "Now, you ladies stay right where you are or else..."

Suddenly, there was laughter. A guy laughing. We all looked at Roland, who had his face buried in his arms as he was trying not to laugh loudly.

"What's so funny?" the man demanded.

"It's funny, ha ha," Roland said as he raised his head. The look he gave us looked like something I was almost certain I had seen before. It was a look Yoshika would give when she was set on doing something (and I had been around her long enough to know). Sometimes, I saw Roland with the same look, but he was somehow giving off a new version of it. A stronger version. "You come right to this table, to a table with four unarmed Witches, one of them being male...you grab one of the girls and hold her hostage as you tell the others to not move..."

"So where's the humor?"

"There's not really any humor in it...in fact, I'd go so far as to say that it's painfully unhumorous. Why might that be, you ask?" I saw his eyes dart between me and the commodore before gazing at their cup of parfait. "Well, you made two mistakes. The first was laying your hands on _my_ commander..."

"And the second one, tough guy?" The man looked like he was enjoying this little talk.

"Second...second, you caught me on my bad side by touching her. Now...have a little taste of justice..."

I watched as Roland started glowing green as the cup of parfait received one as well. What he did next was a little too fast for me to see clearly: all I saw was the parfait crashing into the guy's face. Out of pain, he let go of Commander Minna as Roland stood up, turned around, and threw a right hook into the man's face. As the man's back hit the table, Roland somehow gave off a brighter glow around him as the man received the same glow. Effortlessly, Roland slid him across the table and sent him onto the floor as the glow disappeared.

"What?" the man said as he climbed onto his feet rather clumsily. "Too scared to fight like a man?"

XXXXXXXXXX

_Roland's POV_

"Like a man?" I asked him with some metaphorical venom in my voice. Usually I was not this angry, but I was damned if I was going to let him try to hurt Minna. Besides, we did nothing to him to make him act like that. "Oh, I can do that..." I clenched my right fist and slammed it into my left hand. "Come on, pal."

The man rushed up to me and swung an uppercut. I stepped just out of his swing and returned it with a straight punch to the face. This sent the man reeling back a bit before he caught his balance. By that time, I ran up to him and performed a sweeping kick that took the man's legs out from under him. Before the man could touch the ground with his back, I rose up quickly and, recalling my gyrokinesis powers, threw him back a lot more. This sent him into a wall that had some sort of trophy on a display case. As soon as he hit it, the trophy wobbled a little before it decided to fall off. The man had landed on his rear and was about to stand up when the trophy hit him on the head, and it was lights out for him.

"Lieutenant, are you okay?" Adolfines voice asked as the others stood just behind me.

I powered down my aura and panted heavily. I usually only expended a little energy lifting things, but throwing that man around took a lot out of me. I mean, a _lot_.

"I'm...fine..." I told them between breaths. "Just a nap...for a while..."

I fell onto my knees, and I felt Minna catch me as her right arm landed against my chest.

"Thanks, Roland..." Minna told me.

"No...prob...lem...Min..."

I closed my eyes and blacked out.

XXXXXXXXXX

_Minna's POV_

"Are you sure you two can handle the lieutenant?" Galland asked me as Lynne and I slid a sleeping Roland into the limousine so that we could return to the base.

"Yeah," I assured her as Lynne stepped inside. "He's fainted a few times. We're kinda used to it."

"Has he ever blacked out due to over-exerting his magic?"

"Actually, this is the first time, ma'am. But don't worry: Roland did it for a good reason."

"I'm aware of that, commander. Just be careful, okay?"

"Don't worry, commodore."

As I moved to get into the vehicle, Galland added, "Oh, Wilcke? Can I tell you something in private?"

"Uh, sure."

Galland led me a good distance away from the limousine before saying something. "Listen, Wilcke...keep an eye on the lieutenant. I didn't send that dossier, and chances are that whoever did wanted something to happen. He seems to be involved somehow. Promise me that you'll keep an eye on him."

"I will, ma'am." I saluted. "Roland's as much a part of the team as he is a part of the Witch Corps. Besides, I was the one who got him, so he's my responsibility."

"Good to hear, commander. Now, you better get going before you miss Hartmann's commendation ceremony."

"Right, ma'am."

I walked over to the limousine and stepped inside. I waved a quick goodbye through the window as the vehicle drove off toward the base. I maneuvered myself so that I was sitting next to Roland's head. For some reason, I decided to pick up his head gently and laid it inside my lap.

"He looks peaceful when he's sleeping..." Lynne remarked in awe as I took a look at him. He did look rather peaceful...and somehow, he looked cute...

"He's still an adult," I informed her. "Though the way he's going..." I then thought about what Galland had told me. If it was true and Roland was a part of something big, then I needed to know what it is.

"Uh, commander? Are you okay?"

"Huh?" I looked at Lynne. "Oh, I was thinking, that's all..." I gave Roland another look.

I couldn't help but remember him...

XXXXXXXXXX

_Roland's POV_

_**Dear Letter,**_

_**Well, here's yet another letter.**_

_**Well, this time I want to talk about a few things: first, there was the matter of Francesca.**_

_**See, after I woke up from my black-out and asked about it, I learned Francesca's punishment as well as what had happened.**_

_**Well, she needed some form of punishment. Besides, I was busy trying to figure out how I forgot about the fact that things were going on inside the base. It was a long story, but luckily (or unluckily. I'm not really sure.) the details were rather easy to understand.**_

_**Anyways, apparently the two leaders decided it would probably be funny if they had Francesca sit through Erica's commendation ceremony without her panties...**_

I stood at attention as Erica and I were on the stage. I was inside my military uniform, using my cargo pants instead of my slacks (since I still haven't replaced the damn things).

Apparently I had been told a few minutes after waking up that I was receiving a medal for achieving ten Neuroi kills (apparently a lot of things I couldn't cover in my letters).

Hey, it's not a lot, but it's still good. It'll be a while before I break past fifty, though.

I took the time to look at each of the girls as the announcer droned on about something or other. Something about why we were getting the medals...I'm not sure.

Anyways, I could see that of all the girls, Francesca looked the most uncomfortable. Somehow I felt sorry for her: I don't know why, but I did feel sorry.

"...Lieutenant Hartmann will receive her medal for destroying two hundred and fifty Neuroi," the announcer concluded for one of us.

Finally! It's not that I was feeling impatient, but I felt like I was about to fall asleep standing up.

"Next, we have a medal for Lieutenant Roland Sage," the announcer began before the strangest thing happened.

I felt that same breeze from before as it blew past me from the front, and I suddenly thought of something: if Francesca took Perrine's panties in the first place, then who took hers...?

...

Oh...

Oh...dear...

I took a quick look at Erica and blinked before I blacked out for the second time that day...

_**I…don't know what to say…One minute I was listening to the announcer as he was about to talk about me…the next I was unconscious.**_

_**I had just figured out who had taken the Romagnan Witch's panties, and boy was it not a good idea...**_

_**Hell, I don't even know who took Erica's panties in the first place.**_

_**Whoever it was, damn you!**_

_**Anyways, I hope you guys are doing okay without me. I'll be back as soon as possible.**_

_**Signed, **_**Roland Sage**

_**P.S.: I have a picture of Charlotte with her autograph attached to this letter. It's a copy of the picture that was in that biker magazine the girls were looking through.**_

_**P.S.S.: Why is it I've been fainting of embarrassment since I got here? I'm serious; first, Charlotte and the bath, now this...if this keeps going, I think I'm going to start questioning my sanity more heavily.**_

XXXXXXXXX

_Roland: Next time on **Strike Heroes**-_

_Minna: Um, Roland?_

_Roland: What is it, commander?_

_Minna: Something about you is starting to make some of us a little worried..._

_Roland: Considering that rule you put up, somehow I don't doubt it._

_Minna: I'm serious! How much do we not know about you?_

_Roland: Um..._

_Minna: Never mind. Next time: **I Won't Forget You...**_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**There's the next chapter for this story. I'm not sure how well that particular bit about the fight did for finishing this pair of chapters, but I will be going into Minna's dilemma for the next two chapters, so hang in there.**

**Oh, and I hope I got you thinking about that little bit of information Roland and the others discovered: if Adolfine didn't send Minna Roland's dossier, who sent it to the commander?**

**Plus, if you want...pertaining to pairings, I'm wondering: what pairings could you see as being possible, and who do you think (personally) Roland could end up with? I'd love to hear from you guys, but it's your choice if you want to let me know. Just send me a PM or put it in your review (if that's allowed). Don't worry, you will not be mentioned alongside your choice, but I'm interested in what you guys think. Be warned, however: I'm only asking out of curiosity. I'm still juggling a few ideas around, so I won't be changing my plans anytime soon. though I'm willing to consider the idea...**

**Anyways, please read and respond, and if you want get back to me on your ideas of pairings.**

**Thanks.**


	13. I Won't Forget You (Part 1)

**Hello. I'm back with the next chapter in the "Strike Heroes" story.**

**Now, before we start, it's time (you guess it) for the reviews:**

_fuji92_**: Roland has no idea about it...the only thing he knows (based on the story so far) is that Galland didn't send Minna the dossier as planned. Who it is will remain a mystery until it's time, but I do agree on the fact that whoever it ends up being has something planned for Roland...oh, and you're right: I looked up the quote, and it does come from Monty Python. On a side note, it was rather funny watching the skit.**

_Dragonman75_**: It's nice to know that you liked the last chapter. I hope I keep your attention to the end.**

_Arisa Le Creuset (Guest)_**: I can't say whether the man that Roland and the others encountered in the last chapter has anything to do with the male Witch, but it's currently a mystery. As for the part about Roland's friend being a part of it, which one are you referring to: Kayley or Commander Ellios?**

**Okay, with that out of the way, now we start getting a little deeper into the story. Grab your literary diving suits and let's get moving, shall we?**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 13: I Won't Forget You (Part 1)**

I leaned over the railing at the top of the base, my only companion being a sleeping Sanya and her stuffed animal. The young girl had gotten back from night patrol and decided to fall asleep up there with me.

How the stuffed animal got there was a complete mystery…

Then again, I wonder if that was somehow important to her...

Anyways, I looked out at the water and saw some things: I could see a few seagulls, some small fishing boats off in the distance, a battleship coming toward the dock—

Wait, a battleship?

I looked at it closely, and I soon identified it as being the _Akagi_.

"What's the _Akagi_ doing all the way out here?" I asked myself before grabbing Sanya and entering the base. I walked around until I reached my room, and I used it to have Sanya sleep for now. I laid her gently on the bed, and I soon left the room in time to close the door before all hell broke loose.

Okay, maybe not all of hell: Satan had to keep a few people behind so his minions didn't revolt against him. That probably made it more like "Half of hell broke loose".

It was another one of those complete pandemonium moments on the base, though why it was I wasn't too sure.

"Morning, Roland-kun," Yoshika said as she walked over to me.

"Hey, Yoshika," I said, waving hello the American/Liberion way. "How did you sleep?"

"Rather well. I still can't believe it: who knew that she was the one who started the whole panties theft a few days ago?"

"Huh? Yoshika, I didn't see who it was, and besides I don't want to have to remember that image right now."

"Right. Sorry about that...so did you come back from outside?"

"Yeah...hey, does the name _Akagi_ ring any bells?"

By the way her eyes lit up, I think she had heard of the ship. "I think I remember."

I looked at her and said my next question rather slowly in order to try figuring out what she meant. "You...think you...remember?"

"It's been a while since I had seen it, but it's the ship Sakamoto-" She stopped hesitantly, and I looked around with her to make sure that there wasn't a certain Gallian Witch around to correct her right now. "It's the ship Sakamoto and I took to get here. Why?"

"Oh, it's probably nothing, but I think it's docking at the base for a while..."

Yoshika gave off a big smile. "That's great! I wonder how they've been doing since that time with the Neuroi..."

Neuroi? Right...you and Mio had to deal with a Neuroi on the way here. Stay in character... "Neuroi? You fought against a Neuroi while travelling on it? When?"

"It was a while before we got to the base..." And she explained to me how she travelled with Mio on the _Akagi_, and she was even kind enough to tell me how she and Mio met.

"So that's it?" I asked, placing the pieces of the puzzles together about Yoshika's involvement. "You father died when you were about ten, and four years later, the major finds you. She said something about working with your father, and you initially refused to join the Strike Witches. Including the events that involved the Neuroi in question, you make up your mind and joined the Strike Witches. Is that a good summary of how you got here?"

"Uh...maybe..."

I shook my head. "Well, I don't think I said it before, but I'm sorry to hear that your father died." Or did he? Last I checked, the episodes I watched never actually revealed if he was truly dead. The again, sometimes mail can get lost and not get delivered in a timely fashion. I'm confused...

"Thanks, Roland-kun. Well, I have to get going on making breakfast with Lynne. I'll see you later."

XXXXXXXXXX

The next person I ran into was Eila as I was walking to the dining hall to eat.

"Hey, lieutenant," the Suomos Witch asked. "Have you seen San?"

"Sanya?" I asked her as I recalled where she was. "Oh, she's in my room sleeping. Sorry, but it was the quickest spot I could think of at the time."

"Can you take me to her please?" Eila asked me.

"Sure thing."

I led her back to my room, and the only thing I got was Eila giving a quick frown before she shook her head and went in to grab Sanya.

"Uh, make sure you close the door when you're done," I said as I decided to get moving before I got something worse from Eila. Don't get me wrong, I didn't have anything against her...it's just that I don't want to be on the other end of her arm. The end that will leave a bruise.

XXXXXXXXXX

I sighed as I sat outside on the runway's edge and watched the crew of the _Akagi_ make some quick repairs.

It must be nice to sail the open seas in a battleship without having to worry about much except for the Neuroi. Well, not like I haven't experienced that sort of thing, having been on the _Ascension_ and all...then again, what if one got seasick?

I got slightly queasy as I tried not to think about it. When I had first gotten on the _Ascension_ for Kayley and Ellios to train me, I had felt a little well. About three days out at sea, I had started feeling sick. Luckily, Kayley was able to help me out, but I remembered that I had let it go overboard one day. I mean, I got used to it after a while, but that moment felt rather...

Embarrassing, I guess...

Come to think of it…weren't the Neuroi getting a little more tactical in their approach?I know that it doesn't fit in with being on a ship, but seriously...hear me out. There was the first one I destroyed, a standard one (I thought it was standard). Then, there was the one with the decoy. After that was probably another standard one. Then that Neuroi that ended up on the receiving end of the world's first supersonic human bullet Charlotte Yeager. Then the one that managed to mess with Sanya. More recently…?

I sighed and leaned back so that I could lie on the ground. I closed my eyes and slept until a few minutes later, when my radio headset picked up an incoming call.

"Lieutenant Sage, come in," Minna's voice said.

"Lieutenant Sage here," I said as I pressed the call button and opened my eyes.

"Lieutenant? Can you come into my office really quick?"

"Um, sure thing. Why?"

"Well, I wanted to talk to you about something…"

XXXXXXXXXX

I opened the door leading to Minna's office and found the commander sitting at a desk, looking at some sort of paperwork.

"Lieutenant Sage reporting in," I said.

"Good," Minna said as I stepped inside her office and closed the door behind me. "Listen, I wanted to let you know about a rule I just set up."

"And that would be…?" I asked in curiosity.

"Well, the regulation involves you, so…as of now, all male figures will not interact with any Witch while on the base without authorization by me or my superiors. Sadly, lieutenant, that means you as well."

"Hang on…let me get this straight: I am a member of the 501st Joint Fighter Wing, and I'm being ordered to not interact with any Witches unless authorized?" On a scale of_ Meh_ and _Holy (insert assortment of words that probably doesn't make sense but yet you don't care because you're surprised. A lot)_, I think I was a few words short of the rightmost end of the scale. "Commander, how much sense does that make?" I mean, come on! I'm a Witch! Okay...maybe you have some sort of right to apply the rule to me considering my anatomy, but that's besides the point! What, am I supposed to find a way to not be in my body because I'm a male _and_ a Witch?

I hate to ask this, but did Minna actually consider thinking this idea through?

"Well, that means that you'll have to figure out some way to keep yourself busy. As of now, you can only interact with your instructors when training, us when eating at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and the crew aboard the _Akagi_. Understood?"

"But commander—" I really wanted to lodge a complaint, and seeing as there's not a Suggestion Box (or any boxes to put complaints in) around, I wanted to try doing it verbally.

Minna sighed. "I know it's rather hard for you to understand with everything going on, but that's your orders. It applies for all the men on the base, okay?"

I suddenly thought of something. "This wouldn't be because of the crew of the _Akagi_ coming here, would it?" I mean, I find it odd that she's putting up this rule when the _A__kagi_ decided to dock for repairs. If she wasn't doing it for that reason, then wouldn't she have put it up a while back?

Minna's eyebrows lowered slightly. "Lieutenant, I cannot tell you that. All I want is for you to understand that the regulation involves you, understand?"

"But—"

"I'm not going to repeat myself again. I asked you: do you understand?" Minna, for the first time, looked like she was upset at me.

I glared at Minna like she had signed my death warrant. "Understood loud and clear, _ma'am_…"

I think Minna caught the change in tone, but she didn't jump on it. "Good. You are dismissed."

I simply stormed out of the room without giving Minna a second look.

XXXXXXXXXX

I panted as I stood there, looking at a lone tree.

I was trying to work out my anger toward Minna's newly-erected regulation, and so far I was getting tired from the hack marks I had applied onto the tree.

"I…am…not…going…to…take this…" I panted as I readied my sword for another round of attacks.

I heard a male voice behind me say, "Excuse me, but can you help me?"

Turning around, I was able to see that it was a seaman from the _Akagi_. I could tell because he looked like a sailor.

"What is it?" I asked him as I sheathed my sword.

"Listen…" the seaman started nervously. "Do you know where I can find Miss Miyafuji?"

"Yoshika?" My rage disappeared in a heartbeat. Well, maybe not that quick, but it did move aside for curiosity to emerge. "Um, no. I haven't seen her lately."

"Oh. I, uh…I was hoping you knew where she was…"

"Why?"

"Well, I wanted to give her a letter, but I'm not quite sure…"

"Letter? Yoshika? Do you…" Don't tell me...this sailor has some feelings for the little Fuso Witch?

"What? No! I mean, she _did_ save our ship from the Neuroi, but…"

Oh. Gratitude for protecting the _Akagi_... "I think I get it. You want me to give it to her?"

"Sorry, but I really wanted to do it myself. Do you think it's a good idea?"

"Um…yeah! Wait, I forgot…the regulation…Oh well, I think if you can do it quickly enough as well as discreetly enough you may be able to just give it to her without being caught."

"Really? You think that would work?"

"Trust me, do it just right, and you're going to not have anything to worry about."

XXXXXXXXXX

I fired off a few rounds from my Browning HP as I stood there at the firing range. I was starting to forget about what Minna had told me as I squeezed the trigger a few times.

You know, maybe squeezing off a few rounds into a cutout target a decent size helps me calm down...

"Lieutenant!" I heard Minna say suddenly.

Okay, this was going to get ugly…and I think I was genuinely surprised.

"What is it, ma'am?" I asked as I holstered my pistol and turned around.

"What was the meaning of you telling a crew member of the _Akagi_ to try going against regulations?" Minna asked with some hint of anger in her voice. She looked like she was pissed off.

I stayed slightly calm. "It's called freedom of speech. That's all." Well, it was. I mean, yeah it was against the regulations, but still...

"Really?" She put her hands on her hips as she frowned.

I shrugged my shoulders. "He was just wanting to give Yoshika a letter. Is that so bad?"

"It is when you're going behind your superiors' backs while doing it." She fired this with a tone that made me cringe physically. "What was going through your head at the time?"

I felt annoyed. You want to know what's going through my head right now? Here it is... "Commander, no offense when I say this, but that regulation is nothing but crap. I can understand if you ordered me to not fight alongside you guys for one mission, but it's a whole other story when you tell me that I have this regulation prohibiting me from interacting with my own teammates. Especially when you stop and consider what you said about the rule."

"You still went against the rule—"

"To hell with the rule!" Now _I_ was pissed off: Minna wanted to talk about rules? Dammit, we'll talk about it until the cows come home.

"Don't get angry at me, lieutenant." She didn't sound as angry, but her face still looked the part.

"I'm angry? _I'm_ angry?! Look here, Commander Minna, I don't like it when people make _rules _that interfere with my life, especially if they're set up to keep me from doing certain things that I need to do." I made sure to point at myself to get the point across.

"Look, there's more to it than—"

I didn't even give her a chance to finish her sentence. "No, you listen to me, c_ommander_. I'm a member of the Strike Witches, and my job is to help protect people while helping you girls with the mission. I don't have time to deal with this sort of thing. Especially given the situation your rule set up."

"You don't understand, lieutenant…" Minna's face started to look like she was fighting to confess something.

I weakened my tone slightly. Only slightly. "Then explain it to me. Explain to me what I'm missing."

"I already lost one boy in my life, and I am not about to let you become the next one!" She made it sound forced, like she was trying to get it off her chest.

Upon hearing that, I was shocked, as indicated by me stepping back and cringing slightly: Minna knew a boy who died? Was that _really_ why she made the regulation? To keep her fellow Witches from feeling the same pain she suffered? Did she make it in order to protect me? How did she know him?

Sadly, even if I tried getting the answer, Minna was not going to listen now.

"You're grounded for a while, lieutenant," Minna told me. "You are not to take to the air except to train, understood?"

I was still stunned at what I heard.

"I…understand, Commander…" I said much more calmly.

As Minna walked away, I stood there, stunned.

_Who did you lose, Minna?_ I thought to myself as I stood there. I was too worried to even think about the odds concerning who it was.

I let my aura extend out to gauge Minna's mood, and the commander had a very blue aura of sadness, and the black from before was more prominent.

XXXXXXXXXX

_Minna's POV_

As soon as I got into my office, I closed the door and walked up to my desk. I searched through the stacks of papers on my desk as well as some folders next to the papers until I managed top fish out the dossier Galland had supposedly sent me concerning Roland.

I don't know why I wanted to, but I thought about just sending him back to Liberion. I mean, he went against a basic rule I had set up: he allowed a male to interact with a Witch, especially him. That, and I didn't want to deal with him anymore, not after the way he treated me. I mean, who does he think he is, snapping at me like that?

I heard a knock on the door, and I turned around to look at it.

"Go away, Sage!" I shouted in anger.

"Sage?" Barkhorn's voice asked from the other side of the door. "What's going on, Minna?"

I blinked only slightly. "Come in, captain."

Barkhorn opened the door again and, as she closed it, looked at me. "What happened between you and Sage, ma'am?"

I sighed. "I don't want to go over it, captain. I just want to forget it."

Barkhorn looked at me with a serious look on her face. "Permission to speak freely, Minna?"

"Permission granted...Trude."

Barkhorn walked up to me and grabbed Roland's dossier, reading over it. "Huh. This is the first time I actually looked at this. What's the problem?"

"About Roland himself or about the argument we had?"

"Both, if possible."

I sighed. "I found out from the commodore that she didn't send me Roland's dossier."

"So who did?" Barkhorn looked curious...in her own special way.

"I don't know, Trude."

"Who else knows about it, other than you and Commodore Galland?"

"Well, Roland and Lynne, for starters...they found out at the same time I did."

"Anyone else?"

"Uh...not really. Other than you, now that I'm telling you about it."

"And the argument you mentioned?"

"It was...it was nothing."

"An argument about nothing? Minna, I know you well enough to know that it wasn't about this 'nothing'. Did Sage do something to you?"

"No, Trude." I shook my head, not wanting to say anymore.

"I can see that you want to keep what happened to yourself. About Sage's dossier...permission to look into it?"

"Huh? Why?"

"If Commodore Galland didn't send you the dossier in question, then there's something suspicious going on. And it seems that Sage is in the middle of it."

I looked at Barkhorn hard. I think I get where she's going. After all, I had given it some thought that day. Why did I, of all people, receive a dossier from Roland, especially considering my promise to Ellios?

"So do I have your permission or not?" Barkhorn asked me after a while.

"Hmm?" I asked as I shook my head. "Yeah. Do what you have to in order to figure out the truth."

"Thanks, commander." Barkhorn put the dossier on my desk and walked up to the door. As she opened it, she looked at me and added, "Oh, and ma'am? I hope you and the lieutenant get past this little feud of yours. I think some of the others, especially Miyafuji, noticed it unintentionally."

"Some of the others?" I asked with a slight redness on my cheeks. I wasn't too sure if it was because I was embarrassed that some of us had heard Roland and me arguing or because I was mad that they had been listening in on us. Besides, how far did they listen?

Barkhorn closed the door, leaving me to my thoughts. I wasn't too sure what to do...but Roland was currently grounded. At least until I figured out whether I wanted him off or not. I needed to think about it with a clearer mind so that I didn't make a choice I would regret later.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**There's the next chapter.**

**Now, based on the pairings, here are the ideas I have received. Please note: the only thing that is set in this list are the pairings. I will not give out who said what, though. So without further ado...here are the current ideas of pairings:**

**1. Roland and Minna**

**2. Roland and Charlotte/Shirley**

**3. Roland and Gertrud**

**4. Roland and Sanya**

**As I said in the last chapter, these ideas won't influence me. They'll just give me some things to think about. As for those who haven't given me their ideas of pairings, remember that you can either put it in your review or PM me (whichever you want). Oh, and if you remember a pairing to add, let me know as well.**

**Anyways, that's all for now. Please read and respond. Thanks.**


	14. I Won't Forget You (Part 2)

**Alright, here comes the next chapter in "Strike Heroes".**

**Now, as usual, here comes the review-responding:**

_fuji92_**: Possibilities of reconciling and rule-tossing aside, Roland and Minna fighting seemed like a strange point, given their interactions up until now. But somehow I felt that it gets the idea of Roland trying to argue against the rule's existence. Besides, he's a male and a Witch. If he can't interact with the Witches because he's a male, then how is he even supposed to work with the rule?**

_GAT-X105VividPanzer_**: Don't worry too much with the pairings. I'm just trying to see what some people can come up with. As for the characters involved...well, that's all I can say, really. Oh, and welcome to the site. Hope you do well with your story-telling.**

_Dragonman75_**: Given their stances, it's probably no true surprise. However, I think that it was probably one of the shocking things that occurred in this story...though there's plenty more to come, so keep an eye out.**

_Anonymous_**: Thanks for the review.**

**Okay, with that out of the way, it's time to conclude this pair of chapters...**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 14: I Won't Forget You (Part 2)**

_Roland's POV_

I stepped into the dining hall the next day to get some breakfast before everyone else. As usual, I found Yoshika and Lynette cooking up something, and luckily there was no one at the table yet.

_Perfect,_ I thought to myself as I walked up to the girls.

"Morning, Roland," Lynette said as she turned around to see who it was.

"Oh," Yoshika said as she looked as well. "Good morning, Roland-kun..." Somehow, she looked like something was bothering her.

"Morning to you too, girls," I said as I leaned on the counter between the kitchen and the dining hall. "What's for breakfast?"

"Oh, some oatmeal."

"Oatmeal?"

"Yeah," Lynette added, "My uncle shipped us another batch of blueberries, and when we checked what we received for refilling our supplies, we found some oats."

"I'm...hoping that you two know how to make it?"

"Well, it's not too difficult. All you have to do is-"

"Uh, Lynne?" I pinched the bridge of my nose in slight annoyance.

"Yes, Roland?"

"Please don't go into the details right now. I'm still a little stressed..."

"About what happened between you and the commander?" Yoshika decided to ask.

I frowned. "I guess you heard that?"

"Not intentionally...I was walking by after that sailor handed me the letter when you two started."

"Uh...how much did you hear?"

Yoshika looked sad as she thought about it. "I think I heard the whole thing. Roland-kun, are you and the commander alright?"

I sighed. "I don't know, Yoshika. I just...don't know..." So I think I get it for this case: I tell the sailor to hand Yoshika the letter, the little Fuso Witch receives the letter, I think Minna talks to the sailor in question, Minna comes over to me to chew me out, bada bing, bada boom...and we're at this point.

"Hey," Lynette said as she checked the oatmeal. "The food's ready."

"Huh?" Yoshika asked as she turned around. "Oh, right. Well, let's get ready to serve." The little Fuso Witch sounded happier, like she decided to not worry about it.

I started to move to help get things ready, but then I stopped. I remembered the rule (given that Minna and I argued over it) but did the whole "breakfast, lunch, and dinner" thing mean as in talking or helping serve or what? I couldn't remember that particular bit too well.

...Then again, why am I thinking about it?

Soon, Lynette was kind enough to serve me a bowl of oatmeal with some blueberries already placed inside.

"Thanks, Lynne," I said.

"You're welcome, Roland," Lynette said.

I took the bowl and made for the exit. I didn't want to deal with any more drama right now...

...Until I found Minna at the door. She was just standing there, under the frame.

"Lieutenant," she told me simply.

"Excuse me, commander," I replied as I carefully scooted past her. Once that was done, I made a beeline for my room.

XXXXXXXXXX

I was busy trying to draw something. It wasn't anything too fancy, but I wanted to avoid trying to explain what was currently going on inside a letter that I could never mail to anyone I missed. I just doodled until somehow that statement Minna said about why she had set the rule crept into my mind.

_I already lost one boy in my life, and I am not about to let you become the next one!_

I put the pencil I had down as I got up from the small table that had my lamp (I had pushed it just enough to draw). The bowl that had the oatmeal was sitting on the floor, at my feet.

_You okay?_ the little voice that just appeared in my head asked as I flopped onto my bed.

_I don't want to talk about it,_ I said as I lied there.

_Well, I want to. I think you were being a little too rough on the commander…_

I sighed as I stopped what I was doing. Apparently, I was going to be arguing with myself. _Hey, the commander was trying to explain to me why the rule was set up. How else did you expect me to react before that?_

_Well, you have to look at it from her standpoint. She lost someone, and a man nonetheless._

_So? I've seen people dying. So what?_ I had a strong case: I had Commander Ellios die in my arms. Plus, Yoshika lost her father (still not sure about that, but I don't time to dwell on it). What makes this guy in Minna's life so special?

_Roland, I'm talking about a man who was close to her._

I thought about it. _…A lover?_

_Possibly. It's a bit difficult to figure it out, but I think that's the reason why._

_That still doesn't give her the right to set up the rule. Many have died since the Neuroi came._ Obviously. Why am I thinking about this again?

_...Can't argue with that. But the point is, you should have let the commander explain it and _then_ got pissed off with her._

I blinked. _Uh...am I going insane here?_

The voice didn't answer, and I blinked again.

Sighing, I was about to take a nap when the sirens for the Neuroi attack rang throughout the base. I got up and was about to get ready to fight before I remembered that I had been grounded by Minna.

I then got a strange idea...

XXXXXXXXXX

"Commander," I heard Mio say over the radio.

I was sitting inside the command room, which conveniently had a radio inside. I was using that to listen in on the conversation and to gauge what was going on.

_That probably doesn't sound good,_ I said to myself.

"This thing is getting way out of hand," I heard Minna say. "If we can't find out where the core is, we're done for."

_Done for?_ I asked mentally.

"Commander Minna," Lynne said. "Where's Lieutenant Roland?"

"Yeah," Francesca decided to add. "Where's Lieutenant Roland-kun?"

_Lieutenant Roland-kun?_ that little voice asked while trying not to laugh.

"Lieutenant Roland-kun?" Mio asked.

Yeah, I want to know about that too, dammit! I could understand the "Roland-kun" part if Francesca heard Yoshika using it, but adding my rank next to it? Really?! I sounded like a soldier who wasn't even sure if his name was right or not by the words she used.

"We don't need him," Minna said quickly.

I heard some gunfire before hearing laser fire from the Neuroi.

_That's it,_ I thought as I heard Yoshika scream in shock. _I am not letting any of them get killed out there. I'm going whether Minna likes it or not._

I ran out of the room, ready to figure out a plan to help out.

XXXXXXXXXX

_Minna's__ POV_

"Damn," I heard Major Sakamoto say as we dodged another laser from it. "Whatever it's after it wants it badly."

"I can't believe the Neuroi are getting more complex with strategies," I added. We were having a problem right now: apparently, this Neuroi had the ability to split itself into multiple copies. Not only did this make more Neuroi that could kill us, but it also made it rather difficult to even kill it: every time one Neuroi fell, one of its copies decided to make another one. We had five to deal with, and luckily they weren't making more than that.

Suddenly, I felt something coming toward us from the rear.

"What is it?" Major Sakamoto decided to ask.

"There's something coming from behind us," I said without thinking.

"What? Even the Neuroi can't do something like that, can they?"

"I don't think it's a Neuroi…it feels like one of us."

"Hey, ladies?" Roland said over the link. "You might want to move over 'cause I'm not stopping at all until I get there."

Suddenly, he zoomed past us, his Striker Unit sounding like he was kicking it into overdrive as he flew into the battlefield. He was carrying all his weapons with him: the crowbar, his sword, a BAR, and a Browning HP.

"Lieutenant?" I asked in shock. "What are you doing? I thought—"

"You know," Roland said as he applied the brakes and floated in front of the Neuroi, "I gave it some serious thought as I got geared up, and other than the obvious 'Up the rule's ass' response, I also realized something: you're all my friends…" He got into a fighting stance as his body flashed a bright red aura. "…and I protect my friends, no questions asked. Now, let me deal with this annoyance my way."

The Neuroi seemed to regard him with some curiosity for a while before coming to the conclusion that the male Witch near it was a threat.

He pointed the index finger on his right hand at the Neuroi and remarked, "You better turn tail and run or else there isn't going to be _any _scrap metal for us to use when I'm done with you."

We already knew the Neuroi's response: it fired a laser at Roland, which was instantly stopped by a well-timed barrier he erected.

"Fine," Roland said as he waved my right hand dismissively. "Have it your way."

"We need to attack them all at once," I said. "And we have to do it fast enough that they can't multiply. Got it?"

"Right!" the others said as we split up into small groups. The major was with me, Barkhorn and Hartman were a team, Shirley and Lucchini stuck together, Perrine teamed up with Eila, and Yoshika and Lynne covered each other's backs.

Which left Roland by himself...

"Lieutenant," I told him over the radio. "You're with the sergeants."

"Okay," Roland said as we flew into battle with a Neuroi each. Well, Barkhorn and Hartmann ended up helping us with the one we had.

XXXXXXXXXX

_Roland's POV_

"Roland, look out!" Lynette shouted as she put up a barrier to keep a laser from blasting me out of the sky.

"Thanks, Lynne," I told her as I reloaded my BAR with a fresh clip.

"You're welcome."

I looked around and saw that the others were busy trying to keep their respective Neuroi from attacking someone else. I aimed at the one we had and fired into it, expending all my bullets. It didn't do much, but it did distract the Neuroi from shooting down Erica, who flew past us.

I gritted my teeth. I won't let anyone fall because of you bastards...not after what happened with Ellios...

I felt the red aura from just before this surround me again, but it felt...different. I then felt the Striker Unit open up as I floated there, some strange energy surrounding me.

I couldn't hear anything from my teammates, but I was aware of my actions: I looked at my body (at least, the parts that were exposed. That would be my arms at the very least), which started giving off red lines. What the hell was going on? Was I going to perform a Boson Jump like In _Martian Successor Nadesico_?

I didn't have time to think about it, for I was soon attacked by one Neuroi from behind, but some red barrier surrounded me entirely as I felt the beam hit it.

Huh?

I blinked mentally in surprise. How the hell did I make that barrier knowing that I didn't know where it was coming from?

I could feel all eyes on me, which I didn't blame them for: I was just as confused on what the hell was going on.

Looks like this was my big battle scene, though, and I slung my gun onto my back as I slapped the heels of my hands together and held them out, ready to cast a spell.

I felt a large orb of red energy form in front of my hands. It felt a little comforting...the glow, I mean. I don't know why, but somehow it felt like that to me. Then again, I have no idea how the hell I managed to

I fired the attack into a nearby Neuroi, which soon exploded out of existence. I then summoned a red energy blade on the top of my right wrist, and without being in control of myself I charged into two copies that had lined up in a good position. I barrelled into them quickly as I set the blade ahead of me, and before I left through the bottom of the second Neuroi the first one had exploded. As the second one exploded, I counted two more Neuroi left, and I let loose another Neuroi Cannon that slammed into one of them. The survivor fired a beam at me, but at this rate it might as well have just sealed its own fate. I flew in and ripped through the hull with the energy blade I had produced. When I caught sight of the core, I jammed my melee weapon into it, pulling it out and flying away slightly as the enemy exploded into nonexistence.

I was just floating there, too stunned as I saw the lines fade from my body. The strangest thing was that I was nowhere near being tired after all that. In fact, I felt more energetic, especially as I watched the Striker Unit close back up.

My mind finally grasped what had happened.

Ho...ly...sh...shit! What happened that I activated that? How long have I had that sort of power? How the hell did I even get that power? Actually, I had to think about that last question. What was inside the prototype I was using? And how did they put it inside?

XXXXXXXXXX

_Minna's POV_

I sat inside my office as I read a few more papers. It was doing a rather good job at making me not think about the whole argument from yesterday.

KNOCK KNOCK!

"Come in," I said without looking up.

I heard the door open up.

"Commander Minna?" I heard Roland ask as I heard him approach me. When I looked up, his hands were at the ready to defend in case of an emergency.

"Oh, lieutenant." Why was he in here? "What is it?"

"Um…listen, I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?" I turned away from him.

"I'm sorry that I didn't know what your feelings toward the rule was like. I guess all I was concerned about was trying to find out why you were keeping me on the ground. I mean, if you want me to never fly into a battle again…"

"It's not your fault." Minna looked at me again. "I guess I was the one that got carried away. In my haste to make the rule I forgot that you're one of the main reasons we're truly like a family."

I'm one of the main reasons? "Why's that, Commander?"

"We each have our feelings about the world, but you…you have this thing with us. If you're calm, we don't seem to worry about it. If you get defensive, we understand somehow that you're just trying to protect us. If you get angry, we try to understand why you're that way. I guess that _I_ should be the one saying sorry to you. You've done more than enough to show how loyal you are to your own team." I flashed Roland a weak smile. "Besides, you really want proof that you belong on the team? Look at all that you've been involved in."

I turned around and watched as Roland gave off a weak smile. He had his right hand on the back of his head. "I'm not sure if that means that I can fly into battle again, but with my track record I don't think it really matters."

"Thanks. Did you want to talk about something else?"

"Yeah. The boy you lost. Who was he to you?"

"He was…a friend."

"I think I understand. But I still can't see why you were adamant on keeping me grounded."

Minna looked at me carefully. "He was like a big brother to me. When he died in a battle, I felt devastated. When I first saw you that day, I felt like you would have been like him."

"…I see. I'm sorry if I made you remember him in a bad way."

"It's okay, Lieutenant Roland. It's not the end of the world for us."

XXXXXXXXXX

_Roland's POV_

I looked at her again. Somehow, she looked more…innocent.

"Right, I wanted to tell you something," I started.

"What is it?" Minna asked me.

"See, I know what it was like to lose someone dear to me."

"Of course. You lost Commander Ellios during the attack on the _Ascension_…"

"But I hadn't let that stop me, did I?"

"...I guess you haven't." She closed her eyes and looked like she was thinking of something. "Alright, I guess it's time to worry less about losing people and worry more about keeping them safe. I'm lifting the rule on the interactions, for starters." She then got up. "Come on. We've got something to do."

"What is it?" I asked.

XXXXXXXXXX

I flopped into bed, dead tired.

Minna had asked me to help her with organizing a farewell gift to the crew of the _Akagi_. I, after trying to figure out why she was doing it, was told that she wanted to make it up to Yoshika and the other men.

Overall, it was rather cool: I actually heard Minna singing for the first time, and I was almost mesmerized. Her voice sounded beautiful, almost like she could have been a singer if the Neuroi hadn't attacked. That, and the dress she wore...well, it looked red...and it looked like it glittered...well, that's the best I could do with the look...

What? You wanted something else? Well, too bad. I'm too tired to even answer that question.

After the men had sailed off, it was time for dinner. However, I was cooking that time, and I decided to make some things for burritos. I even got some help from Yoshika and Lynne with cutting up the lettuce and tomatoes. Hell, I even made pico de gallo for them since they had the ingredients. When they finished eating, they told me that the food was good and that they hoped to have it again in the future.

Which brings us to now…

"Ah," I sighed as I lied on my back. "I can finally get some well-deserved rest."

Then something odd caught my attention.

"Hang on…" I told myself as I sat up again, slowly due to my fatigue. "If Commander Minna made the rule now, and they just fought the Neuroi…"

Huge surprise...very huge surprise...

"I need to get there now!"

I ran out of the room and raced over to where Minna's office was, the whole way with a source of energy I didn't even know I had left untapped. I knocked on the door a few times, but no one replied to it. So I simply opened the door, rather slowly in case it was an ambush.

I could see no one in there as I closed the door, and I walked in slowly. I had barely taken a few steps when I felt two fields of aura flare up behind me, and I was about to turn around before I heard a pistol's safety click and the edge of a blade rested gently against the back of my neck.

Shit...

I glanced out of the corner of my eyes and saw Mio behind and to the right of me, her katana hanging dangerously close to my neck. I also saw Minna as she had a Walther PPK trained at my head, though she was about a few feet away, as she walked to the front of me.

I was being held at gunpoint and by the edge of my life...

XXXXXXXXXX

_Roland: Alright, next up on **Strike Heroes...**_

_Mio: It's strange how you activated whatever you used to finish off those Neuroi._

_Minna: Is there anything we should be aware of?_

_Roland: Uh, no? Besides, what about Yoshika and Perrine?_

_Yoshika: I can handle myself, Roland-kun. Next time: **What We Want to Protect...**_

_Mio: How far will you go to defend everyone?_

_Roland: ..._

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Whoa, now things are getting more and more complex for Roland by the second. What secret does he not know about? Will he be able to handle this without revealing the secret about his origins? As Mio said, how far will he go to protect everyone? Would he end up being hurt or worse?**

**So many questions...hang in there...**

**Anyways, that's the end of the arc. I hope you like that particular development in the story, but let me know in the reviews.**

**Other than that, please read and respond. Thanks.**


	15. What We Want to Protect (Part 1)

**Alright, it's time to continue the story with the next chapter in "Strike Heroes".**

**Let me begin as usual by responding to the reviews:**

_fuji92_**: Thanks for the review. I can't go into it too much, but as indicated in the preview Roland will have to make choices that could very well end with something happening to him.**

_Colonial Marine (Guest)_**: Thanks for the review.**

_Dragonman75_**: Thanks for the review as well. At this point, Roland's origins are going to be closely tied into the story. Especially considering the fact that he's hiding it from everyone.**

**Now, with the reviews out of the way, it's time to move on to the next set of problems in Roland's adventure.**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 15: What We Want To Protect (Part 1)**

"Lieutenant Sage," Mio said as her katana was trained on my neck. "The commander and I wanted to talk to you about the incident with the Neuori earlier today."

"That?" I asked as I glanced at what I could see of the major. "I don't know what happened. It just happened." I wasn't kidding: I could remember what I did, but I didn't have a single moment to actually contemplate on the event.

"I don't think that's the entire truth," Minna said as she tightened her grip on the pistol in her hands.

You think I'm lying about that considering the katana at my neck, the Fuso Witch holding it, the pistol trained at my head, and you, Minna? "You think I know anything about the prototype? You were there when I first received it, commander."

"Well, either way there's something up with you," Mio added. "How did you use that attack, and why was your Striker Unit open and glowing red?"

"I'm not sure." I put my right hand under my chin carefully so that Mio didn't decide to let heads roll. "I think my rage activated it, but I can't be certain. I mean, I didn't want to lose anyone out there, and I guess I finally snapped. I'm thinking aloud right now, though."

"The bigger concern is the fact that your body had red glowing lines," Minna inserted next. "Whatever was inserted into your Striker Unit activated when your little stunt occurred."

"I swore that the blast looked like a Neuroi's beam," Mio noted.

I was shocked, as indicated by my next comment: "Are you trying to imply that I'm a...?"

"We can't be certain that you're what we think you are, but if you could do that then the implications are rather high."

"But that's a little..." I furrowed my eyebrows in worry.

"Impossible? Unlikely. I just have this to say: I don't want you flying for a while. Until we can decipher the events that occurred, you need to stay grounded at all costs. Understood?"

This time, I knew why the commander wanted me grounded: with that power inside my Striker Unit there was no way I could tell what will happen. If it didn't require me to activate it of my own consent, who knows what would happen if I did end up going Neuroi (if I could even do that. Damn my memory blackout: something must have happened between me leaving and me waking up in that orphanage).

"Understood, commander," I said as I nodded my head.

"Okay," Mio said as she pulled the katana away from my neck and sheathed her weapon. "Go get some sleep."

"Yes, ma'am." Looking at Minna, I added, "Can you lower your gun please, ma'am?"

"Hmm?" Minna asked as she hastily lowered her weapon. "Sorry. Just thinking, that's all."

Sighing in relief, I walked out of the office, not even wanting to turn around in case it was just something to catch me off guard. I then booked it down the hall quickly.

XXXXXXXXXX

I entered the kitchen around lunchtime the next day and found no one in there...except for Gertrud. The captain looked like she was reading a note or something.

"Barkhorn?" I tried, hoping that I could get her attention.

Gertrud turned her head to see who it was before looking back at the note.

"Lieutenant," she simply said.

There was something about her tone... "What's up?"

Gertrud looked at me, a confused look on her face. "'What's up'?"

For some reason, I decided to tease her a little. "The ceiling right now." I shook my head lightly. "No seriously...what's that in your hands?"

"Huh?" She showed me the letter. "We got this in the mail. Mind reading it?"

"Uh, sure..." I grabbed the letter and read its contents to myself: "To who it may concern. It is wisely noted that your investigation into the Striker Unit prototype will get you nowhere pretty. Refrain from your investigation or face the consequences." I soon looked at Gertrud. "Any idea who would write this?" Better question: she was investigating my prototype? Should I even be surprised?

"Well, it could be you."

I blinked. "How can it be me?"

"Well, you haven't exactly been very...reliable lately."

Was she referring to that weird thing I did yesterday or the fact that she knows something I don't? "Well, excuse me for having my own secrets around here. Everyone else seems to be hiding things, so why can't I?"

"That's not what I'm referring to. You disregarded the commander's orders and flew in the air."

Is she still hung up on that? That was-oh, right, that was yesterday... "Okay? It was a damn emergency!"

"Well, be grateful the commander didn't just kick you off right now. She still thinks you're a part of what holds us together."

What holds us together? What kind of talk is that to hear out of Gertrud Barkhorn, a Witch who's supposedly very disciplined? "Uh, captain?"

Gertrud simply stood up and walked into the kitchen, grabbing a few things to start cooking some lunch. "You want some food, lieutenant?"

"Sure, why the hell not?" I shrugged my shoulders.

At least Gertrud isn't suspicious of the fact that I'm lying to her and the others. Though I really hope I don't get to find out how she would take it.

"Hey, captain?" I asked.

"What is it, Sage?" Gertrud asked in return.

"Um...what are your feelings towards me?"

She looked at me and furrowed her eyebrows as she looked like she was trying to think of an answer. "What kind of question is that to ask me?"

"I mean, you did go against my wishes to die that day...so I don't think you're a bad kid for that. I mean, you had no real right to, but I'm still grateful."

I wonder... "Do you even think of me as anything else but a teammate?"

"Eh?" Gertrud looked a little embarrassed. "Well, you're like a member of the family...though you're more like one of the sons, with Commander Minna and the major being the parents."

Especially given Minna's personality... "And what does that make you?"

"Well, I'm like the older sister."

I crossed my arms. "Really? How so?"

Gertrud shook her head and turned to the task at hand. "I should get cooking, Sage."

I couldn't help but give off a small smile.

XXXXXXXXXX

_Yoshika's POV_

I finished getting back into my uniform after getting done with a bath with Major Sakamoto. I really don't know why, but I think the major really likes the fact that we have a bath everyone can use at the same time. Well, now that I think about it...I don't really see Commander Minna taking one with anyone else, and Roland rarely takes one with us. Then again, the only times he actually does is when Major Sakamoto drags him inside. Honestly, I think he's handling it well when he's dragged in like that more often, but he still avoids eye contact with us and even turns around while cleaning himself. That wasn't to say that he didn't talk. He just usually kept to himself.

Speaking of Roland, he was standing right behind me as he had his eyes covered with both hands.

I looked to make sure the major wasn't around before I tapped his right shoulder.

"Is it safe to look?" Roland asked. He had a hint of a blush on his cheeks.

I nodded, though he couldn't see it right now. "Hai. You can look, Roland-kun."

He removed his hands from his eyes and looked at me as he sighed in relief. He also looked around to see if the major was out of the area. "I still don't see why she drags me into this place...I don't exactly like being in this sort of position, especially the first time she did it to me."

I blushed slightly, turning my head away as my right hand covered my mouth shyly. I remembered what he was talking about: the incident with Shirley... "is it that bad, Roland-kun?"

"Huh? Oh no, Yosh. There's nothing really bad about it. I just-"

"Hmm?" I stopped and turned to look at him, my blush starting to go away. "Did...did you call me...Yosh?"

"Well, it's shorter than Yoshika. Besides..." He furrowed his eyebrows. "If I recalled correctly, you started calling me Roland-kun."

I was a little confused. "Is this some sort of way to get back at me for starting with your nickname?"

"No way, Yosh." He smiled. "You and the others don't really deserve me to call you guys names you don't like." He then frowned a little. "Do you hate the name?"

"Huh?" I blinked. "No! It's just...odd...I mean, Lynne's been calling me that, so..."

"I'd die laughing if we had thought of it at the same time." He chuckled a little.

I joined him for a while before I watched Perrine enter the room.

"There you are, Miyafuji," Perrine said.

"Uh, hey there, Perrine," I said hesitantly. "What can I help you with?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Miyafuji. You and Lieutenant Sage were taking a bath with the major, huh?"

"I was dragged into it, thank you very much..." Roland inserted, but I don't think Perrine heard him.

"What's wrong with it, Perrine?" I asked her. "I mean, Sakamoto and I-"

Perrine looked irked. "Did you call her Sakamoto?! You're supposed to call her _Major_ Sakamoto, got it?"

I frowned. "What's wrong with me calling her that? I did say that she let me, right?"

"That's not the point. How come the major likes you a lot? And you!" She then turned to face Roland.

"What'd I do?" he asked in his defense.

"Don't give me that, lieutenant. Major Sakamoto keeps on dragging you into the bath."

"Against my will..."

"I don't care!"

"Why are you getting like this again?" I decided to ask. "This is Sakamoto we're talking about. She has a right to decide for herself. Right, Roland-kun?"

"And another thing: why give your superior a nickname?"

I furrowed my eyebrows. "And what's wrong with me calling him that?" I looked at Roland really fast, and he was pinching the bridge of his nose in what I could only guess was irritation.

"Sage is higher in rank than you. Don't you understand?"

"Why are you acting like this right now?" I was mad: she was trying to change my habits?!

"Can I say something?' Roland tried.

"Not now!" Perrine and I both told him.

Roland gave off a whimper as he shirked away from the argument that was brewing.

"Why are you asking me that? You've been nothing but a hot shot!"

Hot..shot? _I'm_ being a hot shot?! "Look, it's not my fault that Sakamoto likes me a whole lot better than you! Why don't you say something to her about it?"

Perrine blinked in shock as she turned her head, her anger quickly exploding into a blush. "Well, see...um..." She then looked like she got her fire back. "It doesn't matter! Miyafuji, I challenge you to a dogfight!"

"A dogfight?"

"Just you and me. Deal?"

Deal? Of course, you!

Before I could voice my answer, Roland slid between us, an arm holding us at bay.

"Enough of this, you two!" Roland shouted. "We're a team here. This is no time to start picking a fight with each other."

"But-" I tried.

"No exceptions. I don't exactly have very high respect for you right now, Perrine, but I at least accept that you're a part of this team. Now make up and be nice to each other. And for crying out loud, Perrine, lighten up. You're better off telling the major how you feel instead of taking out your frustration on Yosh here."

"This has nothing to do with-" Perrine tried as well.

"I have spoken. I don't have time to pull you two out of trouble right now." Roland then walked out of the room.

A few seconds after he left, I furrowed my eyebrows. Roland said not to pick a fight, but if Perrine wants it so badly, then...

"I accept," I told her.

"Accept what?" Perrine asked as she was blinking in confusion. Then it looked like she knew what I meant. "Oh, right. Okay. we'll settle it in two hours."

I nodded.

XXXXXXXXXX

_Roland's POV_

I meditated inside the woods, letting my aura control my actions as I sat on an old stump.

I thought about what was going on currently. The girls received that letter (I'm certain of that because I showed Minna after lunch along with Gertrud), and Perrine tried to challenge Yoshika to a dogfight about two hours ago. While I stopped it at the time, I wasn't sure if they still went through with it. Besides, I didn't want to worry about it right now. I just wanted to calm myself down before this suspense tried to kill me.

I then turned to the questions I needed to answer. Who was responsible for that letter? I didn't remember for some reason, but I felt that there was something I forgot soon after arriving in this world.

I tried digging deeper into my memories. I remembered something happening that got me here...but it all went black until I woke up inside the orphanage. After that, I fought to even remember the bit before coming here. How the hell did I not remember exactly how I got here in the first place? I mean, I left the computer on...or did I?

Dammit! Now I'm starting to second-guess myself. Am I even still me? After that little incident with the unknown powers, how sure am I about me actually being...well, me?

No...I'm me. Anyone else would have probably made a mistake somewhere in the story...maybe. Or have I at some point?

Ugh! Shut up, you idiot! You're over-thinking this whole situation!

I felt my aura lift up something followed by a girl giving off a yelp in surprise, and when I opened my eyes and looked I could see Charlotte hanging upside down in the air, a thin sphere of aura holding her by her ankles.

I quickly willed myself to set her down gently as my aura died down, and I soon looked at her.

"Yes, Shirley?" I asked her as she caught her breath.

"What's the big idea with that stunt, Roland?" Charlotte asked as she looked at me in annoyance. "Trying to practice for something sick?"

"Well, I didn't expect someone to be coming near me for a while." That, and why was she here?

Charlotte stood up and dusted herself off. "Alright, I'll let you off for now, seeing as you're just trying to relax, I guess."

She took a seat next to me, and we just sat there. I could feel the suspense building up quickly, and I think I was feeling a little queasy at the build-up.

"You know," she said after a while. "You're not a bad kid, Roland. I mean, you try hard and mean well, so..."

I looked at the Liberion girl. "So...?"

"Well, I just feel envious, that's all. I've broken the sound barrier in my Striker Unit, but you...you've done more. You've taken the fact that you're wearing a prototype Striker Unit that hides in your watch rather well. Me? I'd have some problems accepting it. I mean, really: who built it?"

"You know, Shirley, I don't know either."

"Well, I hope that when you find out it won't mess up your life a lot."

"Thanks..." How would they feel if they found out that I've been lying to them this whole time? Would they be understanding? Would they hate me? Would they even...

No, they wouldn't just kill me...right?

Suddenly, a stray bullet hit the ground rather close to us.

"What the hell?" I asked as I stood up. I could see Yoshika fly by while being chased by Perrine. Both had a Bren in their hands.

Oh crap...if the duel's going on now...then...

"I need to go," I said to Charlotte as I powered on my Striker Unit. "Now!"

"Wait a second..." Charlotte tried telling me, but I was already gone by the time she could say anything.

If the events from the original occur, then this was going to get a lot worse for us all. Especially me.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**The next chapter is up and ready. This particular arc is probably going to be a little bit of a challenge for me right now, but at this point it's going to get rough for all involved. Can Roland handle this up-coming situation or will this be the beginning of the end? Let me know how this chapter went for you guys in the reviews.**

**Please read and respond. thanks, and I'll see you in the next chapter.**


	16. What We Want to Protect (Part 2)

**I'm back with the next chapter of "Strike Heroes".**

**As usual, let's cover the reviews:**

_fuji92_**: At this point, the views of the Witches toward Roland will be challenged before long. Especially as Roland's trying to stop the events from occurring in the first place. As for whether he's going to reveal his secret, I can't say.**

_GAT-X105VividPanzer_**: The bigger question is who created the prototype that Roland has in the first place as well as who handed it to Weiss, who gave it to Roland back in Chapter 2.**

_Dragonman75_**: The questions will be answered, though whether they get answered now or later...I can't reveal that detail.**

**With that out of the way, let's get going with the conclusion to this arc...**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 16: What We Want To Protect (Part 2)**

I got higher up and could soon see Yoshika and Perrine as they shot at each other. I felt a round graze my Striker unit, and I looked at it to find that there was no paint streak (which would have meant that they were using paint rounds).

My lord, they're using real bullets? I better get in the middle of this now!

"Stop it!" I shouted as loud as I could as I flew between them. Luckily, they were both reloading, so they managed to not shoot me dead.

_Whew, _I told myself after seeing my predicament. _That was a close one..._

"Knock it off, you two!" I said as I flew there. "I don't know the reason behind this very well..." Big lie, I guess. "...but I'm ending this right now. We don't have time for duels. Beside, I thought I ordered you two to cool it."

"We have all the time in the world, lieutenant," Perrine told me as we floated there, their guns pointed at each other along with me (seeing as I was in the middle). "What's so different about now?"

"Um...good point, but we're a team here. We stick together, no matter what."

"You don't understand, do you?"

I was slightly confused. "Huh?" I looked at Perrine, who looked saddened.

"You don't understand what it's like to live with the fact that your home is under enemy control."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "But I know what it's like to lose something. You think you're the only one with that problem? I know of at least four people whose lives were negatively affected by the Neuroi, myself included. You think I like fighting? I almost hate it, but it's the only way to protect those I want to protect. Face it, there's something more than loss behind the reason, isn't there?" I noted Perrine's red aura as my senses trained on her. "You're jealous of Yoshika, Perrine. I think you know it, but you've treated Yoshika rather poorly, and I think I know why." I sighed. Better hope I get the reason right. "It's Mio, isn't it?"

I saw Perrine's Bren train more on me now, and I reached for my pistol in case this went south. When I looked, however, I realized that I didn't bring it with me. After seeing this fact, I raised my eyebrows in surprise. I think I'm at the mercy of the Gallian Witch now...oh, and Yoshika... "Shut up. It's Major Sakamoto, got it?"

I lowered my eyebrows. "Really? You're trying to change the subject again?"

Perrine fired at me, and I raised my barrier to protect myself. I then flew to the right to get out of the trajectory of the bullets. I looked and saw that Yoshika had moved to avoid getting shot as well.

"This has nothing to do with you, lieutenant," Perrine told me simply.

"It has nothing to do with me?" I asked. You shot at me...you stupid bitch! Now I'm mad! "Oh, shooting at me does not keep this from becoming my problem as well. In fact, I'd say that you pissed me off."

I flew down quickly as Perrine fired at me again. I was soon flying along the ground, trying to find something I can use to attack with. Soon, I found a fallen tree trunk and decided to use that. I extended my aura to it using my gyrokinesis powers and lifted it up. It wasn't a human being like that guy was, but it was rather heavy. I then flew back up, rather slowly due to having to concentrate on carrying a heavy load. I was straining just to keep from blacking out; like I said, it wasn't like carrying a human being. That, and I never really had too much use for this particular power, seeing as I used my muscles a lot more often than gyrokinesis.

I took some time to take a fast check on the area with my aura powers and noticed that Perrine was not exactly looking at me now. Perfect for my plan.

I exerted a lot more power to send the trunk ahead, and I used the release of the weight to speed up again. However, as I flew toward the Gallian Witch, I realized too late that she had a rapier at her side, which she drew with her right hand quickly once she held the Bren in her left hand. She flew out of the way of the way and then thrust it at me, and only a quick barrel roll kept it from stabbing me in the chest. However, as she swung it to strike at me with a glancing blow, I was too slow to avoid her making a gash in my right upper arm.

"Ugh!" I yelped as I covered my wound with my left hand.

XXXXXXXXXX

_Mio's POV_

I walked onto the balcony as Commander Minna was busy watching something in the distance.

"What is it, Commander Minna?" I asked as she turned around.

"Ah," the commander said as she noted my presence. "You came." She looked surprised.

"Why are you surprised? You asked for my presence."

"I thought you were busy."

"Well, nothing will keep me from getting here when needed. So, what's wrong?"

"Look for yourself." Commander Minna moved over a bit, and I saw that there was a pair of binoculars on the railing.

I walked over to the binoculars and picked them up. When I looked through them, I could see Miyafuji and Perrine in the air, each of them armed with a Bren. I could also see that Perrine had a rapier strapped to her side. "Why are Miyafuji and Perrine armed like they're going to hurt themselves?"

"You know, I'm not sure. Whatever it is, I think we should let them fight this out and then lay the punishment..." The commander gave off a small smirk, something that I found odd.

"Uh, commander, why are you smirking like that?"

"You'll see...if it happens..."

I kept watching as the duel started, with each of the girls using the skills they had to fight. Both had the advantage of using their barrier to defend, seeing as Perrine used that skill to defend Miyafuji and Sage when Barkhorn was injured while Miyafuji used it to shield Eila, Sanya, and Sage during the night patrol they were in. This went on for a while before I suddenly was taken aback: Sage had flown in from below and had evidently decided to interfere with the duel. Both girls had their guns trained on him, but that was probably because they were trying to ensure that the other didn't try to move.

"I have to admit that I wasn't surprised that Roland would disregard the order to stay grounded," the commander admitted as I took the binoculars away from my eyes and glanced at her. "However, even I would have made the choice he made."

"I see..." I said as I continued looking through the binoculars. Sage looked like he was trying to talk them out of continuing the battle, but I don't think Perrine was wanting to listen, for she fired at Sage. He had enough time to put up a barrier and fly out of the flurry of bullets that she had produced. Miyafuji followed his lead and was safe for now. There was a slight break before Perrine fired at Sage once again, the male Witch flying toward the ground to hide from her. With him gone, Perrine focused back on Miyafuji, and the battle continued for a while before Sage came out from the forest with a tree trunk being held with his magic. He launched it ahead and sped up to try catching the Gallian Witch off her guard. However, Perrine readied her rapier in her right hand when she put her Bren in her left hand. She moved out of the way of the flying tree trunk and thrust the rapier at Sage, who barely managed to avoid being impaled. However, Perrine swung and landed a gash on him, and he reacted by grabbing at his injured arm.

"Hey," Commander Minna said as I think she spotted something. "What's that in the distance?"

"Huh?" I asked as I glanced at her after taking the binoculars from my eyes.

She pointed somewhere behind the battle, and I soon spotted it.

"I see it," I said as I looked at it through the binoculars. "What is it?"

After a few seconds, I realized something, and in shock I dropped the binoculars onto the floor.

"What is it, major?" the commander asked before I turned and ran off.

Dammit! I needed to get to the hangar and gear up! And fast!

XXXXXXXXXX

_Roland's POV_

As I floated there, nursing my wound, I watched as Perrine sheathed the rapier and readied the Bren again.

"Any last words, lieutenant?" Perrine asked me. She looked like she was relishing this victory or something.

I looked at her with a glare.

"Shoot me," I told her. "Finish me off."

Perrine must not have been expecting my answer, for she blinked in surprise. "Excuse me?"

"Just kill me." When she didn't do anything, I growled. "Come on, you've got me at gunpoint. Just pull the damn trigger."

Perrine was definitely surprised, if her wide eyes weren't enough. "What are you talking about?"

"Do I have anything else to live for? Since I got here, I've been involved in some way with you girls and your misadventures. That was fine and all, but after learning that I have something hidden in my Striker Unit...I don't think you girls really trust me. Not like before. So go ahead...shoot me."

"You can't be serious, my word..." Perrine frowned. "You want to die so badly?"

"Better than letting the world crumble around me. The secrets I know...I don't want to live on knowing that when I lose them...I don't want to see my world being turned upside down."

"What's so big about your secret that it can do that? You're exaggerating."

"Just fire! Do it now!"

Perrine readied the Bren with a better resolve, and I could see her finger enter the trigger well. All she had to do was pull the trigger...I won't try to save myself...

"Stop!" Yoshika yelled as she flew between me and Perrine.

"Yosh?" I asked as she turned around and gave me a hard slap to the left cheek with the back of her right hand. The Bren she had was strapped on her back.

"What the hell's wrong with you, sir?"

I rubbed the site where she slapped me with my bloody left hand. "You heard me, Yosh. I'm tired of this life."

"Why are you acting like this now? The Roland-kun I know didn't care about his well-being because we trusted him enough to keep all of us safe and still live. He wouldn't just order one of his teammates to shoot him down like he had a death wish."

"Yosh...you don't understand..."

"No, I don't! But it doesn't matter...what you're wishing for is wrong!"

"The world isn't all black and white, sergeant!" I said it with enough force to make her flinch. "I thought it was when I first joined the Army. Kill the Neuroi, protect our homes. I really thought it would have been like that, especially given my past...but the more I witnessed, the more I began to question even that. The fact that you girls had your own issues strengthened the idea that this isn't as simple as all that. When you're my age, you might understand...but I can't expect you to now."

"Black and white?"

I only nodded.

_I know it's hard for you to believe because you're good at everything, but I'm not you! _Lynette's voice rang in my head.

_No matter what, someone always gets left behind..._ Gertrud's voice resonated from that day.

_But if we don't chase after our dreams we'll lose them forever._ Charlotte's voice said.

_It's not so easy to find people once you lost them._ Eila's comment repeated.

_Eila, Roland, stop. Get out of here!_ Sanya's concern was still somehow fresh in my memories.

_I already lost one boy in my life, and I am not about to let you become the next one!_ Minna's answer was there as well.

Maybe I'm the one who can't understand it. Yeah, there are some issues that can't be determined as being either completely right or completely wrong. However, when your view of the world was like Yoshika's or the others' then you still have something worthwhile in store, even if no one else sees it like they do. Yeah, some of them may have adjusted their opinions once Yoshika and-or I got involved, but I can't just tell someone that the way they saw the world was wrong. I don't have that right, especially considering my secret.

I think Perrine was about to say something, but then my aura kicked up. We watched as a red blur flew past us, and when it stopped we could see that it was some weird creature shaped like...I guess Yoshika.

"What the?" Perrine asked as we looked at it before it decided to fly off.

"Wait up!" Yoshika said as she followed it.

I followed her afterward, trying to stop her. If things went sour here...

We followed it for a while before it stopped to look at us. It looked at Yoshika first, then me. Then, I kid you not, it nodded its "head" at me, like it figured something out.

I blinked. Does this thing know me somehow?

"Sergeant Miyafuji! Lieutenant Sage!" we heard Mio shout from somewhere nearby. "Get away from it now!"

"Huh?" I asked myself as I snapped out of it. My reply was this: "What's wrong?"

"That's a Neuroi! Don't get too close to it!"

Soon, my senses fired up quickly as a hidden Neuroi made its presence known. Mio fired at it with a gun, but the Neuroi fired off a simple shot at the major. While the major was able to erect her barrier, there was a flaw in the barrier itself, and the shot got through, shooting Mio down.

"Major Sakamoto!" Yoshika shouted as she and Perrine flew after the fallen major, who was falling toward the water.

I looked at the Neuroi that appeared and instantly used my powers to slip Yoshika's Bren off her back while the little Fuso Witch was flying toward Mio and, once I got a hold of it, bear the gun against it.

"You hurt the major," I growled as my finger entered the trigger well. "Now you pay the price."

Suddenly, the being flew in front of my line of fire, and I hesitated. I wanted to make this Neuroi pay for what it did…but something inside me told me not to fire. It was confusing: why didn't I want to destroy it? Taking my finger out of the trigger well, I sighed and looked at it. Why does it look so familiar to me? I felt like I had seen it before now...but I'm not sure.

"I want you to go," I told it. "Now…before I change my mind."

The being seemed to have nodded at me again as it and the Neuroi that had shot down Mio turned around and flew off.

I was well aware of what I did, but my concern was geared more toward making sure Mio was okay.

XXXXXXXXXX

_Mio's POV_

"How bad is it?" Perrine asked as she, Miyafuji, Commander Minna, a doctor, and Sage raced to the emergency room with me, who was lying on a gurney. I was barely conscious and was in too much pain to say anything.

"It's hard to say, lieutenant," the doctor told her. "It'll take us a while to stabilize her."

"I feel so bad for all this…"

"It's not your fault, Perrine," Commander Minna told her. "None of us knew the Neuroi was coming."

"Still…"

I tried something, but all I could do was groan.

"Save your strength, major!" Sage said in a panicked voice. "We'll fix you right up! I promise!"

Thanks...Roland...

I blacked out.

XXXXXXXXXX

_Roland's POV_

_It's my fault,_ I told myself as Yoshika and I sat at Mio's bedside as the major was busy being unconscious. _I was too busy trying to look normal, and I screwed up by not dropping a hint to anyone. I could have changed this outcome somehow. Because of that, it's my fault Mio's here right now._

Yoshika looked at me with concern on her face.

"Roland-kun?" she asked me. "Is the major going to make it?"

"I can't tell you," I said glumly as we sat there. I knew what could be the result, but I didn't want to make Yoshika lose hope in the end.

"I feel sorry for getting you and Major Sakamoto into all this."

"It's alright, Yoshika. I should have realized that Mio was getting weaker..." Dammit! If Minna had Mio in the office, then I should have realized what it was. That barrier wasn't in good shape when I saw it.

A bigger question was: why didn't she leave us to our devices? She could have sent someone else, someone who could have been better able to protect us. Why did she come?

We sat there in a moment of silence before Mio's vital signs started to go erratic.

"Oh no!" Yoshika said as she readied her healing spell.

"Yosh, wait!" I shouted, but it was too late: Yoshika had casted her spell on Mio, and it must have been a harsh spell for her body. She fell to the ground in weakness, and I barely managed to catch her and held her there as she was panting. I heard the door open behind me, and I turned around to see that it was Minna and a doctor.

"Is she alright?" Minna asked.

"She's fine, commander," I told her. "She's just exhausted. Whatever she did saved Mio's life at the cost of most of her energy."

Soon, Yoshika had enough strength to look up at me with weary eyes.

"You alright, Miyafuji?" Minna asked her.

"Yeah," Yoshika told her, "I'm fine, ma'am. Just tired."

"I see. Listen, I want to speak to you and Roland outside. Now."

This got both of us concerned.

Oh boy...this is going to be bad for us, huh?

XXXXXXXXX

_Roland: Next time on **Strike Heroes...**_

_Yoshika: We don't time for the preview. Aren't we supposed to be going to the Neuroi nest to find some answers?_

_Roland: We? Commander Minna restricted us to our rooms. I'm only going because I need to know more about what's going on._

_Yoshika: If you're going, then I'm coming too._

_Roland: Even at the risk of dying?_

_Yoshika: You're a teammate...and a friend..._

_Roland: I'm not sure if I can be considered that anymore..._

_Yoshika: Why?_

_Roland: Nothing. Next time: **We Want You to Believe...**_

_?: Your path is one that only you can take..._

_Roland: What does that mean?_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Well, there's the next chapter. Hopefully the suspense hasn't killed you off yet. Anyways, get ready because some questions will finally be answered in the chapters leading up to the end. Which ones I won't say, so get ready...**

**On another note, I hope you liked this arc's ending. For me, it was an interesting way to string together this arc and the next arc.**

**Anyways, please read and respond. Thanks.**


	17. We Want You to Believe (Part 1)

**Alright, I'm back with the next chapter in "Strike Heroes".**

**As usual, let's deal with the reviews:**

_fuji92_**: Thanks for the review. I hope to keep it interesting as I go, but whether I do it effectively lies in your responses to it. Other than that, I hope you continue to enjoy the story all the way to the end.**

_Dragonman75_**: Yeah, things are getting more intense. However, I wouldn't think that it's a Roland-versus-Perrine moment right now, especially given what will be occurring soon.**

_GAT-X105VividPanzer_**: Yes, some answers are due, though they make sense to you guys when I actually reveal them. And it's nice to know that there are still people who haven't literally died from the suspense. :)**

**Alright, with that out of the way, it's time to start getting some of the burning questions answered...**

**XXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter**** 17: We Want You to Believe (Part 1)**

As soon as we followed Minna outside the infirmary, the commander got straight to business.

"You two realize what you've done?" she asked sternly.

Yoshika and I looked at each other, a little confused.

"What's wrong?" Yoshika asked innocently.

"You both violated some basic outlines of the Strike Witches, namely the attempted faternization with the enemy. You both let the major get injured and Roland failed to destroy the enemy. You do realize that your actions can result in the action of court-martial for you two for insubordination and treason, right?"

"But…"

I was a little relieved: she didn't list the fact that I went back into the air despite her orders...though that's not something I should be proud of...

"Instead, I'll hand you this: the two of you will be under room arrest. Except for meals or training, you two will spend your time alone in your rooms until further notice. Do I make myself clear?"

"But—"

"Do I make myself clear?" Minna looked dead serious.

Yoshika looked at Minna's serious face before turning to mine, which was more of concern. "Understood, ma'am…"

"Yoshika may not have a problem," I stated, "but I do. First off, how were we able to know when the Neuroi was coming? The only two people I can think of that have the power to see the unseen are Sanya and Mio, and no one gave us the heads-up until it was too late."

"If that's the case, lieutenant…" Minna replied after hearing that statement. "Then explain why you failed to destroy that Neuroi."

I was about to say something but stopped myself. Somehow, that…thing had known something that I didn't. Why, though? Should I tell Minna about it?

Probably not. The commander was already "royally pissed" that Yoshika and I let Mio get shot down. I'd be like that if someone got shot down and I couldn't do anything to stop it.

"It…" I started as I fished for something to say. "It looked…that being looked like it meant no harm. That the Neuroi that shot down Mio was only making sure that the being was able to carry out its mission. I don't expect you to understand or believe me…but I feel that something more is going on around here than I'd like to believe."

Minna nodded only slightly. "Very well. At least you admit that you couldn't bring yourself to do it. I guess you still have doubts about fighting sometimes. Dismissed." She turned around and was about to leave.

"Hang on, commander?" I was still curious about the letter and its contents. "About me...did you give Captain Barkhorn permission to try looking into the prototype?"

Minna glanced at me once she turned just enough to see me. "Yes, I did, lieutenant."

"Why? If you don't mind me asking..."

Minna somehow looked saddened. "You're a part of the team. If there was something we don't know, I wanted to make sure that we were not going to lose you because of it."

I frowned. Should I try to tell her my secret...again...? Somehow, I imagined that Minna would be the one that would understand if I did tell her, but she looked mad right now. If I told her in that state...I'd rather not think about it.

As Minna walked off, my head lowered so that I could look at the floor.

"Roland-kun…?" the girl tried asking.

Dammit...this is my fault somehow...

XXXXXXXXXX

I angrily threw my sword against the wall and, while it was able to take the hit, made a small dent in the wall with it.

I had been sitting on the bed inside my room since Minna had given us the punishment, even deciding to have my meals delivered to me by one of the girls in case Minna wanted to do something like interrogation. I'm not sure if she was thinking that, but I had the feeling that she might want more answers. Like she wanted to know exactly who I am. It was getting close to dinner, judging by the fact that it was about five in the evening, and I was still trying to figure out the answers to the questions I had no answers to.

Why was it I was trying to figure all this out? Why did that thing want me to realize something? Why _was_ it trying to get me to realize something?

KNOCK KNOCK!

"Who is it?" I asked.

The door opened, and I could see that it was Sanya, which was a bit of a shocker: why was she up?

"Roland?" Sanya asked me as she had a plate of spaghetti in her hands. "Lucchini made this for dinner...with some help from Shirley..." She sounded timid.

"What's up, Sanya?" I asked her, adding, "I'm not gonna bite. I don't have enough energy to do that, anyways: I'm thinking right now."

"Thinking about what?"

I stood up and walked over to the window in my room. "It's...nothing. Just some wishful thinking."

"Wishful thinking? Are you worried about what happened to the major?"

I closed my eyes and tried to avoid thinking about it. Dammit, I'm a soldier...but I got attached to these girls...and I can't get over the fact that Mio got hurt. "I guess I am...just a little..."

"It's alright, Roland. It's not your fault that Major Sakamoto was injured."

"But it's my fault that Neuroi is still around...Sanya, I want to know: will you still trust me? No matter what, will you still believe in me?"

"Roland?"

I sighed. "You're young...and innocent...Look at me, I'm just a soldier who got mixed up in all this..."

"That's not true!"

I turned and looked at Sanya, who looked upset. "What?" I don't think I've really seen her like this before...

"You're not just a soldier who got mixed up in our problems...you're one of the only ones out of the other Witches who shares the same history as me. You're separated from your family, just like I am! Though yours died in the attacks, you haven't let their deaths get to you. You're Roland Sage, you're the sturdy rock that we all trust...not the one who breaks down when the going gets tough! So snap out of it and bring us back the old Roland! Please!"

I closed my eyes and laughed. It was a strange laugh that I had been holding inside for too long: the laugh of someone who's found something amusing in what she said. "You and I have the same history...but you don't know the secret I hold in my heart. If I ever told you what it was, would you trust me still?" I opened my eyes and saw that Sanya looked a little hesitant to answer me.

"Roland...I'd still trust you...no matter what...we're a team, right?"

I blinked. I didn't really expect Sanya to say something like that. "I guess that's it, then. I hope you still have the same opinion of me when that time comes." I walked over and grabbed the plate from Sanya. "Thanks for bringing me dinner. You girls don't have to keep feeding me, you know..."

"It's alright...I rather got used to it...to your company, I mean." Sanya nodded her head before leaving, closing the door behind her.

I noticed that the plate had a fork with it, and I picked it up and ate as I stared out the window.

Looking out the window, I realized that the answer lied in finding that Neuroi's home and heading there.

Which led me to a problem: how was I supposed to get there? It wasn't like I could just walk out of the room and go.

That gave me an idea…

XXXXXXXXXX

Equipped with only my crowbar and sword, I stood on the ledge outside Yoshika's window. I'm surprised that the base was fit for someone to just up and scale the outside. It really saved me the trouble of trying to get to the little Fuso Witch's room using the halls. Though it would have been easier: it was about four in the morning, and it was rather difficult to actually see good finger-holds.

I tapped the glass softly to get the young girl's attention.

Yoshika, who was somehow up at this time, noticed me and opened the window, allowing me to enter her room before I slipped and fell to my death, a fact that would have been hard to prove given my Striker Unit's ability.

"What is it, Roland?" she asked quickly.

"Listen, Yoshika…" I started. "I'm going out there to figure all this out. I'm not sure if I'll make it back because I might be killed, but I just wanted to let you know…it was an honor serving alongside you."

She looked confused. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to find that…thing and get some answers."

"The Neuroi?" She blinked in surprise.

"Exactly. Now, if you'll excuse me…"

I was about to leave through the window when Yoshika stopped me, saying "Wait. I'm coming too."

I turned my head to face her. "Why?"

"That Neuroi looked…nice. It looked innocent, and I want to come along with you. If you get hurt then I need to be there to heal you."

"Thanks, Yoshika. You do realize that if they find out we went against orders we might be in deeper trouble, right?"

"I'm not worried. You're my friend, and friends stick together, right?"

I smiled weakly. "Even after all that happened in the past few days, you're not even slightly mad at me still?"

Yoshika frowned. "I'm still upset that you're acting a bit like a jerk, but if this will get you back to your usual self then I'll gladly help you to my best ability."

I nodded and pointed to my back with my thumb as I set my left foot on the windowsill. "Well, you better get on my back. Don't need you falling before we get to the hangar, right? But you better get everything you need before we go, understood?"

Yoshika nodded her head as she now gave off a slight smile. "Hai."

XXXXXXXXXX

An hour later, Yoshika and I hid behind a box that had the little Fuso Witch's Striker Unit leaning against it, but we had run into a little problem. The hangar was full of mechanics, and it seemed like they were starting work on maintenance. It was rather difficult to move anywhere without being caught, and the only thing that was helping us out was my aura-reading abilities. That, and whatever I received from Minna hugging me.

Besides, I generally don't like sneaking around. I never was very good at keeping quiet when playing games like _Splinter Cell: Double Agent_. Was it my fault that real life was harsher than a game? At least a game allowed you to continue from a checkpoint. In this case, if we got caught we would have to move quickly in order to avoid getting in more trouble than we already were.

_Is it safe?_ Yoshika mouthed to me.

_Working on it..._ I mouthed back as I checked on the men's position. I then got a crazy idea: I looked at the Browning HP pistol I managed to pick up while in the hangar, which was hanging inside the holster I had grabbed. I quietly ejected the clip and looked at the amount of bullets it had.

Three bullets...man, I hope this wasn't mine. Then again, who the hell else used a Browning HP on this base?

Setting the clip back in, I decided to switch the safety off and aimed it at a wall without moving out of cover. My finger entered the trigger well before I fired off a shot that slammed into the wall.

Let's hope that sends them scurrying...

As I guessed, the men decided to evacuate the hangar, leaving us to move freely once they were gone. However, we had to move quickly: no telling how fast the others would respond. Besides, I think I disturbed their sleep.

"Come on, Yosh," I told her. "We've gotta get moving."

"Right," Yoshika said as she climbed into her Striker Unit. While she was doing that, I looked around for a while and grabbed a BAR for myself. Oh, and another clip for the pistol at my side.

"Okay, let's get the hell out of here and figure this all out."

XXXXXXXXXX

_Minna's POV_

"_What?!_" I yelled in shock.

The reason why I was shocked was because I had sent Lynne and Sanya to see if Roland and Miyafuji were still in their rooms. What I found out wasn't good. Neither the male Witch or the sergeant were in their rooms. Put in the fact that we were woken up by the commotion of the men who were doing maintenance on the Striker Units about fifteen minutes ago, and I think the pieces were falling together rather quickly.

"What do we do, commander?" Barkhorn asked as she looked concerned. Out of all the Witches, I think she was the only one aside from me trying to figure out their motives.

"I'm not sure," I told her. "I didn't think that either one would go against orders. Well, Roland maybe...but definitely not Miyafuji."

"This doesn't make any sense," Lynne decided to include. "Roland and Yoshika don't look like the types to be disobeying orders."

"Ma'am?" one of the men on base said as he came up to our group. "The general's on the line in the command room. I think it's urgent."

The general? Why is he calling? "I'll be there."

"Yes, ma'am."

As the man walked off, the others looked at me as if looking for any ideas.

"Hmm..." I started as I thought about it. "Lynne, I need you to stay here. Someone has to stay on base to assume Miyafuji's position, at least for a while. We also need a Witch to keep an eye on Major Sakamoto while Lynne assumes Miyafuji's position and we're off-base."

"I'll do it, commander," Perrine said rather quickly. It looked like she was preparing for that sort of thing to happen.

I nodded. "Okay, Perrine. Keep an eye on the major, understood? Everyone else...get to the hangar and gear up. Once I get back from my talk with the general, we'll go and grab our two jailbirds."

XXXXXXXXXX

As soon as I reached the command room, I asked for a line to the general and got it almost instantly.

"You called for me, General Maloney?" I asked.

"Yes, commander," Maloney told me. "I assume that something happened on the base?"

"Uh, yeah. How do you know that?"

"That's not important. So what happened?"

"Well, Lieutenant Sage and Sergeant Miyafuji went against orders and flew off to look for something."

"I see...judging from your report yesterday, I can only guess that they're going to attempt to make contact with the enemy again."

"Again?" Roland wouldn't do something like that, would he? I mean, Commander Ellios died because of the Neuroi. His family even died because of them. Why is he going to try making contact with them?

"That's right. I imagine that you're going to send out a party to retrieve them."

"Yes, sir."

"Well...I have a new set of orders for you, commander. Proceed with finding them, but once they're found...execute them."

I nearly dropped the phone. "Execute them?"

"Making contact with the Neuroi with the intent of fraternization is a sign of treason. We can't have people start doubting our intent to defeat them and save humanity. You will kill the sergeant and the boy on sight. Relay your orders to the others who are going with you and make sure that they understand them. Do I make myself clear?"

"Sir? Miyafuji's just a child, and Roland-"

"Commander, the sergeant is a Witch and should be treated as one. She has others around her age group, and you treat them like soldiers as well. As for Roland...don't tell me that you of all people are getting attached to him?"

I blinked. Why did I even keep him on the team? After the trouble he's been in lately, he should have been punished more severely than I had been doing. But why? Why was I treating him with more respect than he deserved?

It wasn't in my heart to hold grudges...

"I guess I am," I replied after a while. "As for your orders...you can go to hell. I won't kill my own teammates, and I'll be damned if I kill the man I've grown to trust."

"I see...you'll regret making that choice."

I hung up quickly.

"Are you really going to disregard General Maloney's orders, ma'am?" someone asked me.

"I guess I have no choice," I said as I sighed. "Whatever happens, I won't betray my team."

XXXXXXXXXX

_Roland's POV_

Yoshika and I flew across the sea, trying to find any signs of that being from before. The only one armed was me, but I wasn't exactly too thrilled about being armed.

"Where can that thing be?" I asked Yoshika. "It's not like it doesn't know us or anything…"

As we stopped and floated there, I was starting to get annoyed. This thing looked like it knew something I didn't...and the damn thing couldn't even appear when we wanted it to?

"Goddammit!" I yelled to no one in particular. "I'm getting sick and tired of waiting for your sorry ass!"

"Mister Neuroi?" Yoshika said as she looked around us.

I looked at her quickly. "You gave that thing a name?" I then sighed. "Joy…"

"What? He's nice. He deserves a name."

I decided to point something out. "Villains have names."

"Maybe they weren't always evil…"

I sighed again. "You know, I don't quite understand you sometimes. You know that, right?" I meant it: if you sat there trying to convince her that there were only two sides of a coin, I wouldn't be surprised if she tried looking for a middle ground by saying that a third side was possible. After all, somehow in that movie _MouseHunt _when they flipped a coin, it stood on its edge...you know, I'm really beginning to question why I even posed questions.

"I feel sorry for you, then."

You feel sorry for me? _You_ feel sorry for _me?!_ Look here, sergeant: I didn't ask you to risk being shot down on contact by your own teammates, and I definitely didn't ask for all this to be happening to _me_, of all people!

As soon as Yoshika said that, the being flew in from out of nowhere and looked at us. Well, as close to looking as something that doesn't look like it has any sort of optical devices could get.

"There you are, you little rascal!" I shouted out in irritation. "Can you please tell us what you need us to know?"

The Neuroi didn't answer. Instead, it turned around as if beckoning us to follow it.

"Should we follow it?" Yoshika asked.

I thought about it really quick: it might be a good idea to trail it and figure out where it takes us. If it doesn't take us to where we needed to be...would it do something like that knowing that I can shoot it down?

"I guess," I replied as we did just that.

XXXXXXXXXX

Soon, we were flying toward a huge Neuroi structure, something that surprised me a lot. It was above the water, which started giving me some second thoughts.

"What is this?" I asked in surprise.

"I think it's a Neuroi nest," Yoshika told me. "The land they take over has these things. But why is it over water?"

"I don't know…" I looked at the being as it flew inside the nest. "and frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn." Turning to Yoshika, I added, "Movie quote. Or, at least, a rough estimate of one. Come on, let's head in."

I think I gave something away inside that line, but I don't think Yoshika cared right now. We both knew that this being was trying to help us out, so we flew inside...

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**There's the next chapter.**

**Just to see how much interest there would be, I want to put the possibility out there: I'm planning to make a series of little adventures based on the universe I created as an offset from the canonical one. It will have the Strike Witches along with Roland and anyone else attached to this universe (which I'll just refer to as the "Strike Heroes" version of the Strike Witches universe now). As for when I'll start, I haven't quite figured it out yet. I might wait until this is over so that I can work on it while trying to think of my next move. I don't know...what are your thoughts?**

**Anyways, that's all I have to say.**

**Please read and respond, and be sure to let me know what you think of this chapter. Thanks.**


	18. We Want You to Believe (Part 2)

**Alright, I'm back with the next chapter in the "Strike Heroes" story.**

**First, the reviews:**

_fuji92_**: Thanks for the review. As I said, I'm considering it, so I guess I need to think of how I'm going to go about with it. Other than that, I hope you and the other readers continue enjoying the story and stick around to the end.**

_Dragonman75_**: I felt like there needed to be some sort of change in the views. Luckily, I've utilized it a lot for explaining the story from a separate set of eyes or to set up something that Roland doesn't know about. As for the misplaced Neuroi nest...I don't quite remember the reason why I used it right now. Though all that matters is that the story still catches people's attention. As long as I do that, then I know I'm doing well. Though some constructive criticism won't hurt sometimes...**

_GAT-X105VividPanzer_**: We're closing in on the climax. That much is true, but what questions will be answered? As for the side-stories, like I said above I'm considering it, so I'll let you guys know when I manage to start on it.**

**Now, let's move on to the conclusion of this arc...**

**XXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 18: We Want You to Believe (Part 2)**

_Minna's POV_

We managed to catch up to where I last sensed Miyafuji and Roland, and what we found surprised us: about seven miles ahead was a Neuroi nest resting over water.

"What in the world?" Barkhorn asked as we stopped and looked at it.

"Is anyone else trying to figure out why it's over a body of water?" Eila decided to try. "I mean, aren't they usually over land?"

I nodded. She was right: the nests we usually saw were over areas the Neuroi now controlled. So why is it that this particular nest was resting over water? Something wasn't right...

We flew in closer and found Miyafuji and Roland as they were flying into the nest. We came to a stop as soon as we spotted them.

"What are those two thinking of?" Shirley asked as we looked. "They're going on a suicide mission?"

"She's right, commander," Hartmann decided to point out. "No one ever got out of a Neuroi nest alive, right?"

"I'm afraid that you're right," I said as I nodded my head. "Miyafuji and Roland are playing with something they don't know about. However, I trust Roland to get them out of there alive. We'll wait for them here if it happens." I glanced at Sanya, who looked upset. "Are you okay, Sanya?"

"Yeah, Sanya," Eila decided to add in. "You've been acting like this since you spoke to Roland yesterday. What gives?"

"He..." Sanya started as it looked like she was trying to find the right words to use. "I think he doesn't believe that we trust him, commander..."

"Huh?" I asked. "How can you be sure he's thinking that?"

"Because...he asked me if I would still trust him if he ever revealed his secret..."

"Secret?" I blinked. "What secret?"

"Sage did mention something about secrets when I spoke with him last," Barkhorn admitted. "I didn't really think much of it at the time."

"So he has a secret?" _What are you hiding, Roland?_

XXXXXXXXXX

_Roland's POV_

Yoshika and I entered the Hive very carefully and flew through the complex networks as the being led us to an uncertain destination. I felt shivers going down my spine as we flew.

"Yoshika?" I asked as we flew. "You feel…anything creepy around here?"

"I feel some weird presence, if that's what you mean," Yoshika told me.

The rest of the flight was in silence as we reached our destination: a strange room with a weird layout. If I wasn't so skeptical, I would have sworn that it looked like it was a GPS system or something. Yoshika and I floated there, the being looking at us.

"Okay," I told it. "We're here. Now, what do you want us for?"

The being flew over to us and floated there.

"_Are you Roland Sage?_" a voice asked us.

I shook my head in case I heard something odd.

"Was that you?" I asked, pointing to it. "You mean that you can speak?"

"Who's speaking, Roland-kun?" Yoshika asked.

The being nodded its head.

"_Yes,_" it said.

"How can you speak to us?" I asked the being.

"How can who speak to us?" Yoshika tried again.

I looked at her. "You can't hear it?"

"Hear what?"

"_I am sorry, Roland,_" the being began. "_I can only speak to those who understand the Neuroi language._"

Neuroi...language...?

"Does that mean...?" I started, trying not to think about it. It was impossible! A human couldn't fuse with a Neuroi core!

...Could they?

_How a Neuroi thinks is not known..._ Minna's words crept into my mind from that night. Could I take that and reverse it somehow? Can...no, is it possible to fuse a Neuroi core with a human? Is it ethical to do something like that?

"_Patience, Sage,_" the being said. "_It's a long story, but that's not why I have wanted you two to come to this place._"

"Oh yeah?" I asked it with some hostility. "Why did you want us here, so you can kill us?"

"_On the contrary...I came to warn you two about the future..._"

"Future?"

"What's wrong, Roland-kun?" Yoshika asked me. "What is the voice saying?"

A sort of memory sphere came up behind it, and Yoshika and I could see some strange vehicle enter a nest and proceed to destroy all the Neuroi in it. However, soon it began to glow black as it somehow became under the control of the Neuroi.

I recognized it: it was a Warlock unit.

"I see..." I said. The Warlock was still in this somehow. But one question still plagued me...

"Why show us this?" Yoshika asked.

"Yeah," I added. "We're your enemies. Why show us your own destruction?"

It showed us a weird scan of the Warlock, and something surprised Yoshika: inside was a Neuroi core.

"So you're afraid of this thing?" Yoshika asked it.

"_We fear no one,_" the being said out of pride (if a Neuroi that had the shape of Yoshika had any). "_But this is something that we have never seen before..._"

"I guess so," I said to simplify it for the little Fuso Witch who couldn't hear the comment.

This was beginning to sound serious. If our side had something this powerful…then that only meant one thing: power. And from my experience, power corrupted those who seek it.

"How do we stop it?" Yoshika asked it.

"_Stop it?_" the being asked us. "_Little one, you can't stop what will happen..._"

"Yes..." I growled as my right hand clenched tight. "Yes...you can..."

"Roland-kun?" Yoshika said in slight fear.

"Just because it happens doesn't make it set in stone. There's still a chance to change the future, and if there is then we'll do everything we can to change it!" Now I remembered why I was here: no matter what, I have the power to change whatever I wanted. The only thing that stopped me from rewriting history freely was the idea that if I did then something irreversible could happen. Something I couldn't see at the time.

"_You really think that, Roland?_" the being asked me out of what I could assume was surprise. "_This is not a normal Neuroi you just saw. That is a-_"

"It's a Warlock," I snapped. "It doesn't matter now. Only one side will walk out of this conflict, and I don't plan on dying anytime soon. Not when I still have people I can call teammates!"

I looked at Yoshika, who was surprised.

"Roland-kun..." she could only say.

The being was about to answer when something outside the room exploded.

Thinking quickly, it flew over to me and placed both of its "hands" on my shoulders. What happened next surprised even me: I felt a sudden jolt in my brain, like something I forgot was being replaced.

Soon, I could see something in my vision. It was a being surrounded in a red aura with a Striker Unit. The being looked rather familiar to me...

Then, I recognized the decals: those of the Jolly Rogers squadron.

It was me! But...what does it mean?

"_Only those who found you can tell you of your identity,_" the being told me. "_They are the ones who know what you have become._"

As the vision faded, I looked at Yoshika quickly as the Warlock broke through the "floor".

"Time to flee," I told her as we proceeded to do just that.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Goddammit!" I yelled as Yoshika flew behind me.

What I thought was a simple escape was starting to get more dangerous as the Warlock decided to try using us for target practice.

"Which way do we go now?" Yoshika asked as we came to a dead end. The Warlock was tearing through the passageways, and it looked intent on killing us.

Okay, maybe now wasn't the best time to say this, but...how can I say that it looked like it was going to kill us? The thing doesn't even have a face...or at least a face I can recognize.

Anyways, I was facing the Warlock and unloading everything I had in the BAR into it, pausing every now and then to reload. However, with only three clips to spare I could only fire for so long.

"Uh..." I started before the Warlock tried to ram us.

"_UWAH!_" both of us cried as we dodged the ram...barely.

The Warlock slammed into the wall as we flew a little bit back in the other direction. I fired a few bullets into it before slinging the BAR onto my back.

"We need to get through the hole," I said.

"But how?" Yoshika asked.

The Warlock didn't let either of us answer as it decided to try ramming us once more. We moved aside once again and, as the Warlock spent some time trying to figure out where we went, I motioned for Yoshika to move through the hole. We slipped out of the hole and could soon see that we were in another hall.

"We need to move," I ordered.

"Yeah," Yoshika only said.

XXXXXXXXXX

We managed to get out of the Hive in the nick of time as the place exploded, but the shockwaves from said explosion propelled us ahead a few feet before we managed to correct ourselves. When I looked back, I didn't see the Warlock in the midst of it.

"Where did it go?" Yoshika asked as she looked as well.

"I don't know," I said simply as I was panting. "Honestly, I thought we were goners."

That Warlock was something, I'll tell you. But I wasn't concerned with it right now: I was more worried about what happened to that being...and what he did to my memories.

_Only those who found you can tell you of your identity._

That was what the being had told me, but what the hell does it mean? Did someone find me when I first got here? But who then, if that's true? I couldn't look at my memories without freaking Yoshika out.

Besides, we had worse problems. Minna and the others (Excluding Lynette, Perrine, and Mio) had figured out what happened and had come to get us. Almost pathetic that I didn't really think about that fact.

"Miyafuji, Sage," Minna started.

"Ma'am!" Yoshika said as she noticed the commander. "We just…"

I flew between them.

"It's not her fault, commander," I said for the little Fuso Witch. "It's mine. I ordered her to follow me. She told me not to go, but I wanted to learn about why that thing wanted us. In order to make sure she wouldn't be able to blab when I left, I told her to follow me. If you're going to punish anybody here, punish me."

Despite the fact that it was an obvious lie for me and Yoshika, Minna looked at me as if she accepted it. Either she couldn't believe it or had more pressing matters to attend to.

"Alright, lieutenant," Minna told us. "You are under restrictions as soon as we return to base, understood?"

"Crystal, ma'am," I replied with a nod.

XXXXXXXXXX

_Perrine's POV_

I was sitting inside the infirmary, next to Major Sakamoto. I couldn't stop thinking about it: about what Roland had said...and how I was sitting next to the major.

The male Witch sounded serious about being shot down. Somehow, I felt like there was something that was troubling him to the point that he could only do so much, like things were not under his control anymore.

I shook my head. He may be a threat because of what he did with the Striker Unit, but I know that the others still have some trust in him.

But...do I?

I heard Major Sakamoto groan.

"Major?" I asked the major. "Are you feeling okay?"

I looked and saw that the major was awake and was looking at me.

"I'm fine, Perrine," she told me. "I see something's bothering you."

"Huh? Oh...do you still believe in Lieutenant Sage?"

"Sage?" The major closed her eyes for a while. "I'm not going to lie to you, Perrine. I'm not too sure if I can still trust him. I mean, I've fought Neuroi...and if Sage ends up being one of them, then I have no choice." I gasped. "But if you think I'd do it in cold blood, you're wrong. Commander Minna and I both know that if Sage is really a Neuroi that we have no choice but to end him. I'm not sure if he knows it as well, but either way Sage must accept it. I believed in him, and I'm still willing to believe that he's not a Neuroi...but if it's the truth, then..."

"I...see..."

I watched as the major opened her eyes. "What about you, Perrine?"

"Oh...I'm not sure of him myself..." I had the chance to pull the trigger...but I didn't. Why, though? "I mean, the way he was wanting me to fire...do you think there's something that's tearing him apart mentally?"

The major and I held some silence for a while before I yawned.

"Are you feeling okay?" the major asked me.

"Yeah," I said quickly. "I'm just a little tired, that's all..."

Major Sakamoto nodded and turned onto her side, her back to me. "You're welcome to lay down if you want, Perrine. It's going to be awhile."

"Uh, you sure, ma'am?" I mean, I had a few other beds in here to lay down in...

"I insist."

I sighed and gave off a smile as I crawled next to the major.

Should I tell her how I really feel toward her? I mean, I guess it's the perfect time to do it...

"Major...?" I started.

"What is it, Perrine?" Major Sakamoto asked me.

"I..."

The door to the infirmary was kicked open, and a lot of soldiers rushed into the area, all of them surrounding us as their guns were trained on us.

"What's the meaning of this?" the major asked as I could only sit up.

XXXXXXXXXX

_Lynette's POV_

I sighed as I sat on the bed in my room. Yoshika and Roland sure were taking their time getting back here. Though I'm worried more about Roland. Based on what Yoshika told me between the duel and now, she made it sound like she was worried about the male Witch.

Why did he run off? Was it something about us that he hated now?

_I have to fight for my reasons, and you need to fight for yours. So what if you're not any good? If you keep thinking that, you'll never amount to anything. Trust me, the only person you have to impress is yourself._

It was strange how I was suddenly thinking about what he said the day after he and Yoshika joined. However, I think I understood it a lot better now than I had back then. Roland was probably trying to find his reason for being here, and he was doing what he did to find a clue as to why.

It still didn't make any sense, though: why was he fighting the chain of command? What did he hope to accomplish from doing it?

I sighed again. You know, now that I thought about it, I don't think Roland really thought about what he was getting into. I mean, I don't mind that he helped us all...but after the major got hurt, he's gone overboard. And what Sanya had said when Yoshika and I asked her if Roland was feeling better...

Do I still trust him? Would I still trust him when his secret came out? Why was he saying things like that?

I thought about what his questions were: I guess I still trust him. I mean, we each had our problems, but Yoshika and Roland were the most clear-headed. They went to so much trouble trying to make us feel like a family, and I'm not sure if they actually think they were doing that. So I trust him to keep us safe.

As for trusting him if his secret got out...I guess it would probably affect how much I trusted him, but I wouldn't lose it completely. I guess it depends on how bad it is.

However, I couldn't figure out why he was saying things like that. What was his secret?

Before I could try answering that, the door to my room was forced open.

XXXXXXXXXX

_Roland's POV_

The flight back to base was the longest flight of my life; it consisted of us flying back in silence. All I could do was think on what I saw.

Is that what I look like inside that strange power? I look like a fireball flying around? Wait, why am I trying to compare myself to a fireball? And what about what that...being did to me? It felt like something I forgot had been jarred awake, but what was it?

The next thing was whether to tell them about my true self. You know, since I had lied to them about it for so long...

"Commander?" I tried. "Guys?"

"What is it, lieutenant?" Minna said in a grave tone.

"I wanted to say something..."

We soon saw the base, and we could see that there were a group of military men standing on the runway.

"Why is there a group of men down there?" Gertrud asked me.

"That's not good…" I muttered to myself as we came in for a landing, stopping in front of the group of them.

"General Maloney," Minna told a man who had the look of a general.

"Commander Wilcke," the man known as Maloney started. "It's nice to speak with you again, and on such short notice…"

Suddenly, on his signal, guns were trained on all of us, and only I entered a fighting stance as I growled after readying my crowbar.

"What's the big deal, buster?" I growled.

"This base is now under my jurisdiction," Maloney explained. "The Five Hundred and First Joint Fighter Wing is officially dissolved."

XXXXXXXXXX

_Roland: Next time on **Strike Heroes... **It's time for the beginning of the end of the line. My secret cannot be held any longer, and I need to figure out what exactly will happen to us all if the Warlock goes unchecked. However, I guess it's time to pay for the lie I lived. Is this the end for the Strike Witches? Has my interference with the story caused a drastic change in the ending? I guess it's time to find out...because once I figure this out, it's the beginning of the end. Next time...**The Truth**...I really hope it's not too late to stop it..._

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Alright, the next chapter is up.**

**Please read and respond, and get ready because we're getting closer and closer to the end. Remember to let me know what you thought of this chapter as well.**

**Thanks.**


	19. The Truth

**Hello, and welcome to the next chapter in "Strike Heroes".**

**Now, before we begin, there's a few things I need to do, starting with the reviews:**

_fuji92_**: Thanks for the review. These last chapters will be answering some important questions...but some questions will not be answered yet. Which ones will be resolved? We have until the final fight to keep guessing and thinking...**

_Dragonman75_**: Well, I hope I deliver with this chapter, but be sure to let me know what you think.**

_(R-Dot-Com)_**:**** Thanks for the review as well, and sorry for not spelling your username right; for some reason my computer seems to make it disappear when I type it in, and this spelling was the only one I found that didn't do it while trying to preserve the name. Writing this story has taken some work: looking back at the chapters to try keeping structures the same (such as Roland's use of first names in his narrative), looking back to previous chapters to double-check details...the list is a little longer, but that's just the ones I can think of right now. However, even with the work I find it rather enjoyable. I'm crafting something as I go, and I'm taking a fresh look at the anime for this story. I'm still trying to keep what made the anime good in it, but I also need to make the story more believable by connecting it to the previous chapters.**

_Arisa Le Creuset (Guest)_**: Well, concerning your review, this chapter will give you the answers you seek.**

**Well, with those out of the way, it's time to continue the story...**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 19: The Truth**

The group opened up, and Perrine, Mio (who was in a wheelchair due to her injuries), and Lynette were shoved into the center. Yoshika caught Lynette as Minna grabbed Perrine. My left hand gripped a handle that someone would use in order to push Mio around.

"What?" I asked quickly as my left hand's grip tightened harder. "You can't be serious…"

"I am being totally serious, sir," Maloney told me.

"And what proof do you have?" I probably didn't want to hear this, but...it's time I faced this and see it to the end.

"Simple. A sergeant and a lieutenant went against their commander's orders. Said commander then went against her superior officer's orders. Insubordination if I ever saw one."

"I hardly call that proof." And what does he mean by Minna going against orders? What orders did he give her?

"You can't just take the base and dissolve the Strike Witches!" Yoshika stated. "We've done too much to let you do this!"

"I wouldn't talk if I were you, Sergeant Yoshika Miyafuji," Maloney said to her. "You looked like the type that would rebel, and you did. Besides, now we have a new way of fighting the Neuroi."

As if on cue, a strange craft flew over us and landed behind Maloney gently. It looked _very_ familiar...it was that same craft from inside the Neuroi nest...

I instantly placed it as being the Warlock!

"I've seen that before!" Yoshika said out loud.

Maloney turned to look at her.

"You have, huh?" he asked her rather menacingly. "Tell us, when did you see this?"

Yoshika couldn't answer: she was already in trouble for going against Minna's orders when she "followed" mine. She didn't want anything else to go wrong, and I could tell.

I, however, didn't have anything to lose. I stepped in front of Yoshika as I gritted my teeth.

"That thing's a Warlock, huh?" I asked him. When he didn't say anything, I added, "Thought so."

"A what?" Minna asked me.

"The Warlock unit is a prototype vehicle designed to fight the Neuroi in the place of the Witches. General Moron here had three planned for construction, and this is barely the first one."

Maloney simply gave off a slight smirk as he looked at me. I have no idea if he was actually irked that I called him "General Moron", but if he was then I'd hate to play poker with him.

"I see you know a lot about this Warlock," he said. "Is there something you need to tell your friends?"

I was shocked. "How did...?"

Apparently, so were the others.

"Tell us what?" Eila asked me.

"It's none of their concern," I told Maloney. "I want to know how you knew about that."

Maloney gave off a laugh and explained: "How I knew about you? Simple. You're not soldier material. You may think you are since going through the training, but you're nothing more than a lying, lowly, no-good boy who just happened to be in the wrong place at the right time."

After he said that, I had no idea why, but I got enraged, let go of Mio's wheelchair, and tried to strike at Maloney. However, he quickly reached into his pocket and pressed something. I soon felt a jolt in my left wrist, and I looked at the watch as I felt something stab into my wrist quickly. Due to the pain, my right hand dropped the crowbar and wrapped around the left wrist to try nursing it back to a normal feeling. Because I never deactivated my Striker Unit before all this, I found myself landing on my feet rather weakly.

"What did you do?" I asked him as I steadied myself.

"You really think that you would be able to simply run around with a priceless prototype all the time?" Maloney asked in return. "There was a failsafe in case something happened. The head of the development team behind the prototype Striker Unit has the authority to activate the limiter, which reduces its user to a quarter of his or her original power."

Quarter of his or her powers? What the hell was he...? "You mean...?"

"That's right!" Maloney pulled out a device from his pocket, and I got a look at it: it was a rectangular device with a set of two red buttons. I could only assume that the buttons were labeled whatever they did. "I'm the one who headed the team that created the Striker Unit you hold so dear."

I was shocked beyond all recognition: Maloney...oversaw the development of this Striker Unit I'm using? Well, was using, but still!

"You mean..." I clenched my right fist tight once I pulled it away from my left wrist. "You mean that you're the one who gave me this Striker Unit?"

The man who headed the development...was the one who was now dissolving the Strike Witches? How...how dare he...!

I lost it, literally. I rushed up to Maloney and swung my right fist at him, sending him reeling back. I didn't stop there: I raced up to him and tackled him to the ground, my left hand wrapped around his throat. My knees were on either side of him to ensure that he couldn't simply push me off.

"You bastard!" I told him. "You damn bastard! Do you even know what I've gone through in this damn world? A lot of crap, that's what! You've been happily making these..._things_, and you gave me a Striker Unit prototype without revealing who you were. You screwed up my life, general! You don't know what it's been like living in this world. Not knowing when and if you're ever going to see your friends and family again. Never knowing what became of you. Entering a world for unknown reasons and being thrust into a war you never wanted to be a damn part of. You hear me when I'm telling you this?!"

Maloney tried getting in something to say, but I cut him off quickly. "Don't you dare tell me that you're different from me, you pathetic pleaser. You ruined my life the day I received the Striker Unit prototype. Plus, you could have had a part in writing that warning we received on paper. I shudder to even think what else you had a part in."

I heard some noise, but I paid it none of my attention, resuming with, "All I asked for was a normal life. When I was recruited by Commander Minna, I lost that chance, but I still tried to be normal. It's difficult to keep from telling the others that shit happens to each of them. What's even worse is that I couldn't tell them that one of their own gets critically injured. But you know the worst part? Not being able to do shit about it out of some fear! So don't you even _contemplate_ telling me that I had it easy these last few months, you little bastard…"

I raised my right fist, ready to slam it into his face. "This is for whatever s-"

"Lieutenant, that's enough!" I heard Minna say.

My anger immediately disappeared as I turned my head to face them. I could see instantly that they were horrified at what I said.

Oh no...

Oh no, oh no, oh no...

I just revealed the truth without any sort of thinking.

I'm such an idiot!

"Leave him, Sage," Minna told me. "He's not worth it right now."

I let go of Maloney and stood up.

"You're damn lucky the commander stopped me," I told him. "I would have beaten you to a bloody pulp if I had a chance."

I watched the others walk off before following behind them after picking up my crowbar, soon catching up to them. I turned around one last time to glare at the general as he stood back on his feet. Somehow, I thought I saw a grin on his face.

XXXXXXXXXX

It was silent as we reached the dock, and I looked at each of my teammates as I stood there, thinking about their reactions.

Honestly? I wasn't sure about their reactions, and I was going to get them now.

"Is everything you said true, Roland?" Francesca asked me. There was a hint of confusion in her voice.

I lowered my head as I replied with, "Yes, Francesca. Everything's true. I'm from a different world."

The girls gasped.

"Why lie to us?" Gertrud asked next.

"And what was I supposed to say?" I raised my head to look at Gertrud. "'Hey, you guys. Listen, I'm a guy that just happened to land in this world for no apparent reason'?"

"Actually, that does sound a little far-fetched," Eila noted.

"You could have tried," Erica added. "I mean, you've been deceiving us this whole time."

"So..." Sanya started as she looked like she was thinking about something. "Your secret...that's why you asked me if I would still trust you?"

I lowered my head again, this time only slightly.

"Yes, San," I told her. "I tried holding that burden, but I knew that someday it was going to be dealt with..."

"But why couldn't you tell us?" Lynette asked next.

It was now that we finally noticed that Minna's head was hung low.

"Commander?" Yoshika asked her.

"If it's true..." Minna said slowly as her red eyes looked at me with a look of hurt in them. "...then tell us something we didn't tell you."

I looked at her and sighed. Who could I use? I could have used anyone, but with everything I've been through it was rather difficult to deal with. The only one I hadn't dealt with was Yoshika...

I sighed again.

"Yoshika, does the name Michiko ring any bells?" I asked the little Fuso Witch.

"Yes!" Yoshika said after gasping. "But...how did you..."

"I know about her because of something I know that you girls don't. Have you tried saving a cat?"

"Yes..."

I sighed. Now that I asked about it, time to tell them... "Where I'm from, you girls are nothing more than characters designed for our entertainment...All of you are nothing more than made-up characters" I looked at Minna as the commander walked up to me. "I'm sorry, commander. I know I should have told you sooner, but-"

I felt Minna's right hand slam across my left cheek as she slapped me hard. My left hand flew to my slapped cheek as I took a step back and looked at Minna, whose head had been lowered.

"Commander..." I tried.

"You lying bastard…you knew what was going on and never bothered trying to stop any of it?"

What...? "How could I do it, commander? You don't think I tried? Some things I couldn't even stop. Francesca took those panties, yeah, but where was I when it occurred? I did a few things to try changing the story as well. Commander, please…you have to listen to me…"

Suddenly, the commander readied her pistol and aimed it at my head as I tried approaching her. This alarmed the others.

"Commander," Gertrud said.

"Leave," Minna told me. "Just leave. You've done enough damage." She now looked into my brown eyes with determination. "As of now, you're no longer a part of the Strike Witches. Get out of my sight, and if I see you flying again I will personally kill you, consequences be damned."

I looked at Minna before looking at the others, who were rather silent toward this situation.

"Is that what you all think is good for the group?" I asked them. When I received no reply, I sighed and turned around. "I guess you guys agree with Commander Minna...I'll go now and never come back."

As I walked away from them, my head hung low in shame.

Dammit...I never wanted this to happen...

Why me?

I heard footsteps behind me, and I felt someone grab my left arm. When I looked at the person who grabbed it, I found Yoshika looking at me.

"Roland-kun..." she only said.

"I guess...this is good-bye, Yosh...Keep an eye on them please..."

"Roland-kun...you can't go..."

I tore my arm away from her. "No, Yoshika...I have to..." I bolted away from her, the Witch who first bumped into me on my first day...

XXXXXXXXXX

_Lynette's POV_

As we watched Roland run away from us, I could only walk up to check on Yoshika.

"Yoshika?" I tried. "Are you feeling okay?"

"He..." Yoshika only said. "He...He's gone..."

"Yosh?"

"Roland-kun..."

What she did next surprised me a lot: my best friend on the team turned around and buried her face into my chest. I was caught off guard for a fraction of a second before I did the only reaction I could do: I wrapped my arms around her and held her as she cried into my chest.

"It's okay, Yosh..." I tried, hoping to soothe her tears.

I wondered about what I had originally thought of him...like I said, my trust after his secret was revealed had been affected, but somehow I didn't care. To me, he was still the same Roland, and no amount of lies that he used to hide his true identity was going to keep me from believing in him.

Then I looked at the commander. She still looked angry, though. I really wished I had Roland's aura-reading magic so that I could see how the others felt toward him now.

XXXXXXXXXX

_Gertrud's_ _POV_

As we looked at the sight of Miyafuji crying into Bishop's chest, I glanced at Commander Minna. I didn't need anyone to tell me that Sage's revelation had a major impact on us, the commander looking like she took the worst hit...considering that she doesn't look like her usual self.

I found myself thinking back to that day when I was on the verge of death. Was I supposed to die? Is my life being extended a result of Sage, or was I truly saved by Miyafuji?

I shook my head. No...no matter what, I have Sage to thank for getting me to see my mistake.

"I guess we have no choice," I said for the commander. "The general said that we're no longer the Strike Witches, and Sage already left...so I guess we go our separate ways."

"Well, I'll be taking Miyafuji back to Fuso," Major Sakamoto said. "Besides, I feel like heading to the academy there and training some of the Witches there."

"I'll come with you," Perrine added. "I can't head back home, so I can stay at the academy for a while. At least until I get my bearings."

"We'll catch the train back to Suomos then," Eila said as she grabbed Sanya's left shoulder.

"I have a plane I was working on," Shirley said as she glanced at Francesca. "I guess we'll be heading there."

"And Bishop?" I asked.

"Hmm?" Lynette said as she looked at me. "Oh, I can get a ride. Don't worry...though I wonder where Roland's going to head."

"Hopefully somewhere where we won't see his face again," the commander said with a slight growl.

"Commander?" Hartmann asked.

"Come on, you two." She motioned to Hartmann and me.

And with that said, we all went our separate ways. I wasn't sure, but I think some of us were hoping that we would all come back together and be like it was before all this...

XXXXXXXXXX

_Roland's POV_

I walked into the forest, not even thinking about where I was going.

In fact, I wasn't sure where to go. Without my Striker Unit, and with Minna serious with her threat, I was pretty much screwed as far as leaving.

Oh well...

Maybe it's best if I died here of starvation or thirst...or a combination of both.

I ambled along until I found the pond from a while back, and I sat on a rock that was nearby when I arrived.

Life was messing me up, huh? I mean, I barely escaped with a threat and no way of leaving. Oh well, at least I didn't get a bullet in the head. I really don't want to become a vegetable if I did manage to survive it.

Maybe I should have told them the truth. That way, I may have gotten a better response. Though now I'm not sure if it would have changed anything.

I sighed as I sat there, looking up into the sky.

_Hey, _I heard a voice say suddenly.

"Huh?" I asked as I looked around.

_This is your conscious speaking._

"Where are you?"

_Down here, in the water._

I looked down and instantly found my face there. However, it looked a little more grim than I liked to see.

"What is it?" I asked myself.

_Well, I wanted to talk about what happened lately,_ my conscious told me.

I had nothing else to lose. "Fire away."

XXXXXXXXXX

_Minna's POV_

It's been about a few minutes since Roland left, and Barkhorn, Hartmann, and I were walking through the woods.

The way we saw it, everyone was going to head back to their home country. Well, except for Perrine and Sanya, but the former was going with Miyafuji and Sakamoto while the latter was with Eila. Shirley and Lucchini had gone with each other, and Lynne decided to head back to her family.

Which left us three.

I think I was still looking upset still, for Hartmann said, "Hey, commander. You okay?"

"Hmm?" I asked her as I looked at them. "I'm fine, Hartmann. Nothing to worry about."

"You sure?" Barkhorn decided to add in. "Since you forced Sage off the team, you've been rather quiet. Not to mention that you're not acting like yourself..."

"Let's not get started on that liar," I told her. "He deserved what he got."

Barkhorn stepped in front of me, arms crossed. "Really?"

I was forced to stop or crash into the captain. "I'm sure, Barkhorn." After what I heard from him, how can I really tell what's real anymore? Was it his fault that everything was going downhill? Hell, is it his fault that Ellios died that day, leaving me to recruit his sorry ass?

"Commander," Hartmann said. "How can you let Roland go that heartlessly?"

I looked at Hartmann. "He lied to us. He lied to you, Hartmann. Are you willing to forgive him that easily?"

"It doesn't matter, commander. He lied to us, yes, but can you really blame him? He was just trying to do what he thought was good. Besides, he helped save Trude."

"I agree with Hartmann," Barkhorn added. "Sage's been there for us through thick and thin. He's one of the reasons we were united this whole time. Why are you throwing him out into the cold like he was a wanted criminal?"

"He had a chance to change this whole situation, but he didn't even try! He's the reason Sakamoto was injured, Barkhorn!"

"The _Neuroi_ was the one who attacked Sakamoto. Sage not firing at it had nothing to do with the fact that it fired to defend its ally. If he really wanted to change this situation, then what would have happened? Besides, what if it was someone else?"

I was about to say something in response, but I caught myself. If Roland didn't fire at it, why? Did he know something that we didn't? That Warlock prototype was familiar to him, but since his revelation I felt that he knew about it before all this. Besides, what if it was someone else who got shot down, like Yoshika? What if it was me?

_You can come to me for anything, alright? If you want to talk, I'll listen._

That sentence entered my mind. Did Roland not come to me about it because he was uncertain if I would believe him? I mean, he lied, but what was his reasoning?

"Would Roland lie to protect us?" I asked myself aloud.

"Commander?" Hartmann said in response.

"Nothing, Hartmann. I was just thinking aloud..."

I knew what I needed to do now.

I ran off, determined to find Roland and talk to him.

"Hey, commander!" Hartmann said as she and Barkhorn followed behind me. "Wait up!"

I was going to give Roland a chance to explain himself. One chance.

"You don't even know where the lieutenant is," Barkhorn pointed out. "Besides, you threatened to kill him if you saw him again. He might run to keep you from carrying out your threat."

"I understand, Barkhorn," I said as I activated my powers, letting my familiar appear. "However, that's something I'm willing to risk if it gets me answers."

XXXXXXXXXX

_Roland's POV_

_Why exactly did you lie?_ my conscious asked me. _You lied for some reason, but I never understood it. Why?_

"I'm not sure," I said. "I wanted to tell someone, but who would listen to a man who says he's from a different world?"

My reflection frowned. _You didn't give it much thought?_

"Well, I thought you handled things like that."

_I never thought about it because I thought you did._ I watched as the other me sighed. _Well, this is...great. We don't know the reasoning behind your deception quite fully. Let's see, is there any factors to consider?_

I gave it some thought. "I guess I didn't want to lose anyone's trust. I mean, who wants to be friends with a man who acts weird because of his original position? I just wanted to be normal, that's all. Was that too much to ask?"

_Maybe for your friends it was. You never thought about whether they wanted to know more about_ _you._ _The real you, not the one you made to protect your secret._

"Oh, sure. Again, who would believe me if I came out with it?"

_You could have tried._

My aura sense (or what was left of my powers) picked up three people behind me. I turned my head, expecting to find some of Maloney's men behind me.

Instead, I saw Minna, Erica, and Gertrud.

"I thought you wanted me to be out of your sight," I said, recalling Minna's threat. I was considering running, but I looked at Minna's face, and the commander looked like she was not concerned with her threat for the time being.

"Did I ask for you to speak?" Minna said to me in return. "I want you to only answer when I ask you a question. You are to be silent for the rest of it, understood?"

I nodded. I really didn't want to give her any reason to shoot me.

"Good," Minna started. "Now, as you're probably aware of the recent events that occurred involving your secret, I have given it some thought."

"You have?" I asked her.

"Lieutenant?"

"Sorry." Quiet down, liar.

"Like I said, I gave it some thought. Well, I gave it some major thought while I was running over to find you, but the point is that you have been lying to us this whole time."

"I didn't want to-"

"Lieutenant, please."

"Shutting up now."

"Therefore, I wanted to ask you one question, and I want you to answer me truthfully. Why? Why lie to us? We were a team, Roland."

I sighed. "I'm not sure currently, commander. I thought it was best at the time to keep certain details under wraps until I was ready to tell you guys, but Maloney forced my hand just recently. I guess..." I sighed again. "I guess I didn't want any of you guys to get hurt because you knew my secret. What if someone was trying to look into my past? If they knew you guys knew about it, then they probably would have targeted you first. You were trying to look into my Striker Unit's origins, and Gertrud picked up that letter with the warning written on it. I never wanted to deceive you guys, but I didn't want you guys to feel sympathy for me either. I just wanted to be as normal as I could be. I'm sorry if that wasn't what you guys wanted, but you can't understand my position."

I looked at Minna as she thought about what I said.

XXXXXXXXXX

_Minna's POV_

I sighed.

Well, after hearing what Roland had to say, I think I made my decision. I walked up to him and, raising my left hand, slapped him across his right cheek.

As his right hand flew to his cheek, the lieutenant took a step back.

"Ow!" he shouted. "What the hell was that for?"

"That's for lying to me and the others," I told him point-blank before hugging him tightly. "And that's for everything else you've done on the team."

"Commander?"

I was glad that I wasn't being looked at by Hartmann or Barkhorn because I was blushing madly. After everything this guy's put me through, from recruiting him into the Strike Witches all the way to me being angry at him for lying to me, my feelings for him had somehow remained despite my anger toward him.

"What does that mean?" Hartmann asked me as I let go of Roland after my blush faded.

"It means that the Neuroi Witch is officially back on the team," I told my friend.

"Really now?" Barkhorn asked as she looked at me. "You forgave Sage that easily?"

"Why not? He's done more than enough to assure our trust, even if it's not as strong as it used to be."

XXXXXXXXXX

_Roland's POV_

I was surprised: after all that, Minna wanted me back on the team? Though...did she really have to slap me again? Wasn't that time after she got angry at my deception before this moment enough of a punishment?

However, that nickname...

"Commander," I started as I smiled. "That's great. Don't worry, I won't betray your trust again. But...Neuroi Witch?"

I swore Minna's eyes had a devilish shine as she looked at me, like she was trying to flirt with me.

"What's the matter with your new nickname?" she asked me slyly.

"Uh, nothing!" I told her as I waved my hands in front of me. "I rather like the name."

Lieutenant Roland Sage, Neuroi Witch.

I guess it has a nice ring to it. That, and it fits in nicely with the fact that Minna said that I could have been a Neuroi.

"Uh," I decided to add in, "Commander Minna. Can I ask something?"

"Sure, Roland," was her answer.

"What's the plan?"

"You never recalled the events after this?" She looked confused. "I thought you had a plan."

"Well, what was your original plan?" I just wanted to check notes here.

"We were going to hide out and spy on those military men inside the base. That way, if something fishy goes on, we'll be able to stop it."

I nodded in approval. "Sounds like a good plan. Plus, you three do it anyways back in my world."

"Hey, um, lieutenant?" Gertrud asked me. "Have you heard of us before?"

I laughed. "Heard of you? Of course. There was an anime series about you Witches. Plus a movie, some manga books, some games, I think...anyways, I digress. Should we proceed with the plan?"

"Of course," Minna confirmed.

"Let's rock."

XXXXXXXXXX

_Lynette's POV_

I was trying to think of happier times while in the limousine that would take me back to my family for a while. Which was getting harder and harder as I was soon thinking about Roland and his secret.

Was it really true? I mean, if he truly is from a different world then how did he end up with magic? What really happened to his parents? He did say that they had died, but did he say that because they didn't come with him when he got into this world, or was it because he needed a story to use in case someone asked him?

"Are you feeling okay, ma'am?" the driver asked me as he looked into the rearview mirror.

"Huh?" I replied as I blinked. "Yeah...I think I am..." Was I?

"Do you want me to stop somewhere for a while? There's a good vantage point of the water close by."

I smiled slightly. "Uh, sure..."

A few minutes later, and I got out of the limousine as I walked over to a nearby railing that was somehow overlooking the water.

_Roland..._ I thought as I leaned on the railing and could make out the _Akagi_ out in the distance. _I don't care if you believe that we don't trust you anymore...I still do...it's not as much as it used to be, but I'm forgiving you for your lies. Please...find a way to bring us all together again..._

XXXXXXXXXX

_Sanya's POV_

"Alright," Eila said as she came back to the bench holding two tickets for the train that would get us started on our trip. "The timetable says that the next train won't be coming for a few more minutes."

I didn't answer her right away.

"Sanya?" she asked. "You've been strangely quiet since that incident with Roland...and I'm not talking about your usual silence. It feels like you're upset at something, and that's a sign if I can tell."

I continued to ignore her, focusing more on trying to remember Roland and some of the moments we had shared other than him helping me out on the night patrol that day.

"Sanya!" Eila shouted.

"Huh?' I asked as her shout interrupted my thoughts.

"Finally," Eila sounded irritated, but her tone softened a little. "Sanya, you've been thinking about Roland again, huh?"

"Yes. I was thinking of what he asked me..."

_Sanya, I want to know: will you still trust me? No matter what, will you still believe in me?_ Roland's words entered my thoughts.

I told him that I'd still trust him. Yes, he wasn't born in this world, but he's alive here. That's enough to prove that he exists to me.

"Eila?" I decided to pose the question to my friend. "Do you trust Roland still?"

"Wait, you're asking me that?" Eila replied.

"Roland asked me that question, and I think I know how the commander feels about him right now...but what about you?"

"Well...let's see...not counting the way I treated him beforehand...he's been there for us, I can say that much. Even if we're just characters back where he comes from, I'm as alive as he was. I'm certain that he didn't have powers before coming here, but if he has magic and that prototype Striker Unit then he's been picked for a reason that's beyond all of us."

I then remembered the card Eila had read for him. "You think that card from before...you think it still applies to him?"

"I don't know, but if it does still apply to him then he has some work to do."

I was slightly confused. "What work?"

"I said that the card was him bringing balance to our lives. Kinda hard to do that when we're split up..."

I nodded. "So Roland's future was incorrect?"

"Well, like I told Miyafuji that day, I can't see very far into the future. I didn't know about Roland's secret at the time, so how was I supposed to discern the true purpose he needed to fulfill?" Eila sighed. "To give you a good enough answer...I guess I still have a little trust in him."

I smiled slightly. "You do?"

"Yeah. If he could handle himself alongside us while trying to keep us from failing in our missions, then I don't think Roland's going to have much of a problem with the situation he has in front of him."

Suddenly, the train came into the station. I watched as Eila stood up and looked at me. I swore she wore a smile on her face.

"Well," she told me. "Come on. Our train's here...though I don't know if it'll take us to where we want to go."

I nodded as I stood up as well.

"Right behind you, Eila," I told her in return.

XXXXXXXXXX

_Roland: Next time on **Strike Heroes**: it looks like all hope hasn't been lost yet. I've been given a second chance by the commander, and now the four of us are keeping an eye on the base as I tangle with what the being revealed to me._

_Erica: Yeah, though based on what you know, do you think we'll find anything?_

_Gertrud: I think the bigger question is how the others are digesting your secret, lieutenant._

_Minna: I agree. Not everyone may have recovered from that revelation._

_Roland: But they have to trust me if we're going to stop that Warlock!_

_Minna: ...You sure you want to just charge in unannounced?_

_Roland: (sigh) Yoshika and I have unfinished business with that Warlock, and I'm willing to risk my life if it means accepting my new identity. Next time, I promise...**We Will Fly **again!_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**That's it for the next chapter.**

**Just for heads-up, here's a few information I'm going to give here:**

**1) I've decided to start work on the idea I had been thinking of. As of now, I am at work on Project Himebana (named based on the CDs featuring the Strike Witches themselves), the final title to be announced at the end of this story.**

**2) The chapter itself was going to be split into two parts, one covering the revelations and one dealing with the repercussions...but then I figured that it would have made more sense placing the two contents together to make this chapter. This made it a little interesting as I covered some of the views I chose to deal with. Other views will be explored as well as the answers to some of the questions still out there.**

**Other than that, let me know how the chapter went, so please read and respond.**

**Thanks.**


	20. We Will Fly (Part 1)

**Welcome to the next chapter of "Strike Heroes".**

**Now, as usual, let us cover the reviews before we delve into the story:**

_fuji92 (Guest)_**: You'll have to wait and see how he deals with the problems up ahead.**

_GAT-X104VividPanzer_**: Concerning slaps by some of the girls, Roland's lucky they weren't all going to slap him. Though so far only two girls (Eila for that incident where he was trying to get Sanya out of his room, and Minna for his deception) have taken the spot.**

_Dragonman75 (Guest)_**: Thanks for the review. To answer your questions, you'll have to wait and find out... ... ...I forgot that I don't have a maniacal laugh track here. :)**

_Amir-015_**: I'm assuming that the PM you sent me was a sort of review, so I'll answer your question here. As far as the question you posed to me goes, it will be answered by the end of the story.**

**Now, with that out of the way, let's continue with the story, shall we?**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 20: We Will Fly (Part 1)**

_Roland's POV_

"How long are we going to be waiting here?" Erica complained as we were sitting inside an abandoned cabin at a strategically-placed location overlooking the base we once occupied. Minna and I were busy keeping an eye on the place via a medium-sized window and two pairs of binoculars while Gertrud and Erica stood by for a switch just in case.

"As long as we need, Hartmann," I heard Gertrud tell her.

Erica sighed. "Well, it would be a little easier if we could just go in and deal with it right now..."

"Wouldn't work," Minna said as I looked at her. "Who would believe the word of someone who isn't even from this world? Besides, if we tried that, I'm fairly certain that the general would take us out and turn us in by the time we could get what evidence we needed."

"Besides," I added as I turned to look at Erica and Gertrud (Erica lying on a couch that was coincidentally inside the cabin and Gertrud standing near the door in case someone got the rather unlikely idea of checking for any Witches trying to snoop around), "according to Maloney, he hasn't done anything to make anyone question him yet. If the Warlock actually does work..." _Which it won't,_ I told myself. "...then he's got us replaced. However, I know that it won't happen."

"What does that mean, Sage?" Gertrud decided to ask me.

I thought about what the being showed us. "Uh, nothing..." I then tried changing the topic. "Since I got here, I think I'm beginning to question some things..."

"Like?" Minna asked me.

I sighed. "I don't recall Kayley or Commander Ellios ever appearing in the series at any point, and to be honest...I never got past the first season..."

"Hang on," Erica said quickly. "There's a second season after this?" She then looked slightly confused. "Um, what do you mean by a season?"

I sighed again. "After this is all over, I'm as clueless as you guys. Let's just keep it at that." I looked back outside the window. "I wonder how the others are doing..."

"Why are you worried about that?" Minna asked me.

"I get the feeling that my secret seemed to have caused some trouble in your minds...I know that you three may have forgiven me for it, but I'm not too sure about the others..."

"Judging by Miyafuji's reaction," Gertrud said, "I'd say she was the most affected...though I'm fairly certain that she's not angry at you. I think she wanted you to stay..."

I wished I could have stayed too...but Minna's threat and my own regrets toward hiding my secret wouldn't...

I frowned.

"What's wrong, lieutenant?" Erica asked me.

"I..." I started as I thought about everything I did for the girls. "I don't...I don't get it...why aren't you guys more furious toward me? I mean, I lied to you...I lied to you all...and yet...you let me back on the team, commander." I turned my head to look at the redhead. "Why didn't you let me go?"

I felt a hand grab my left shoulder gently, and when I looked I could see Minna smiling sincerely.

"You're a part of the team," she told me. "No matter what happens, we keep an eye out for each other. You and Miyafuji have done that more than anyone else, and look at what happened until recently...everything that happened aside, it's been an honor serving with you, lieutenant." She then nodded her head.

I opened my mouth as if to say something but decided to stay silent. I looked at Gertrud and Erica and asked, "And you two?" instead.

"Well, you did save Trude..." Erica said.

"That he did," Minna added.

"What about you, Trude?"

"I still trust Sage," Gertrud told me. "Aside from convincing me that my way of thinking was wrong, I was thinking of whether my life was supposed to have been ended by that Neuroi. I guess now that you're here and you know about it...what happens to me in your world?"

I blinked. That was a little strange to be asking someone from a different timeline and world...but I wasn't going to lie. Besides...

"Yoshika and Perrine still catch you before you hit the ground," I told her. "If you're worried that my presence prevented your death, I can assure you that you were safe for the most part..."

"Most part?" Erica asked as she blinked.

"My experiences here has shown me one main thing: no matter what you manage to do, some things have a chance to be changed."

"Meaning...?"

I sighed. How do I put it? "Well, I never thought Lynne would be friends with Kayley."

"That's it?" Gertrud asked next.

"Well, there's a few other things I could use, but..." I stopped and found myself swaying back and forth, a feeling of lightheadedness filling my head.

"Lieutenant?" was the last thing I heard from Gertrud before I blacked out.

XXXXXXXXXX

_Minna's POV_

"Lieutenant?" I heard Barkhorn ask as I felt Roland fall against me, his head landing on my chest.

My first instinct was to try slapping him for some reason but I paused before I could do just that: Roland hasn't exactly been known to just do something like this on purpose. I looked at his face and noticed that his eyes were closed, like he had fainted from something.

But from what?

"He's fine," I replied. "I think...Help me get him to the couch. Hartmann, could you move please?"

"Sure thing, commander," Hartmann said as she got up and, with help from Barkhorn, I laid Roland on the couch.

"Now what?" Barkhorn asked me. "The lieutenant fainted on us, and we've got a chance of being discovered before he wakes up."

"For now, we'll take turns keeping an eye on the base, Roland, and the door."

"Why the door?" Hartmann decided to ask.

"Unexpected guests?"

"Oh, right!" Hartmann gave off a quick salute. "I've got watching Lieutenant Sage!"

"I'll take the door," Barkhorn suggested.

I nodded.

"Good idea," I told her. If someone did barge in at least Barkhorn didn't really need a gun to deal some harm. Though I'm kinda glad we decided not to use the guns for this (though Roland did object to being completely unarmed; I allowed him to carry all his weapons except the BAR); I don't want to have any deaths at this point, Maloney's men or our team.

I walked back to the window and looked out before the memories I had of Roland came into my thoughts. When I first picked him up, he had been rather normal despite losing Commander Ellios (that, or he was hiding it from me; I know that he said that he didn't let her death get to him, but somehow I think he couldn't deal with it the way he wanted to). As he and the others warmed up to each other along with Miyafuji, I started noticing that things were rather different somehow. I don't remember if it was because of Roland or Miyafuji, but there was one thing I could agree with: those two had different ways of thinking than us, but they still brought something to the team.

They brought hope and togetherness...

XXXXXXXXXX

_Roland's POV_

"Uh..." I groaned as I started coming to.

What the hell happened to me? One second I was talking to the Karlsland Witches, and then next thing I knew I fainted.

I opened my eyes and took in the sight I was greeted with: a complete field of purple.

Okay, I don't know what exactly one should see when they die, but somehow I was fairly certain that the color purple everywhere was not something that they saw. Maybe their life flashing by, maybe some sort of deity or something, but not this.

Wait, is it all purple?

I turned my body around and saw nothing but purple...okay, maybe I should correct myself: seeing as there was nothing I could call a ground (considering that I don't even know which way was up) that I could stand on, I think a better statement would be "I twisted my body through the eternal purple I had found myself in and saw that it was indeed all purple".

Confusing? Try telling me where I was, and maybe I can fix my entire description here.

...

Okay, did I just break the fourth wall again?

I shook my head and looked around.

Purple...

Purple...

Purple...

Some sort of being materializing to the right of me...

Purple...

Purp-

Wait a second! Some sort of being?

I turned back to look at it and found...okay, I think I'm going crazy.

For some reason, I could see Commander Ellios floating there, without her Striker Unit.

"Commander?" I asked her as I blinked. "But you're dead...I...I saw you die in my arms!"

"Be calm, Roland," Ellios told me. "I needed a form to assume while talking to you in this place, and the one that I thought would help best was your memory of Commander Hannah Ellios."

_I needed a form to assume...?_ "Hang on, are you...?"

"I am indeed the being you saw inside the Neuroi nest. When I performed the procedure, I inserted a shard of memory inside you that worked independently of the rest of your mind. Until now, I tried to get you to come here...unfortunately, the one time I succeeded you ended up fainting, so I had to find your mental body."

"Mental body? Where am I? And why is it so...purple?"

"This is a plane we had reserved for us, though its existence is only to serve as a place for us until we show you what you need to know. Once our purpose has been completed, this plane as well as ourselves will be erased. Now, you're still wondering what exactly happened back then?"

"Duh!" I was annoyed: you did some mumbo-jumbo to me, you tried getting me to interact with you and ended up making me faint, and your plane is all purple...what was I in, some backwards version of _Vandread_? Oh well, could be worse...

Ellios looked confused (Funny how the being knows how to show some form of emotion; I think it used mine as a reference, though). "We take that as a yes then. What can you remember?"

"Well, I remember being at a computer and then waking up in an orphanage..." I stopped. "Wait, did you...?"

"We restored the memory you had lost. Now, we want you to see this and understand that this is one of the events that led to the formation of the legend."

"Legend? What legend?"

"The one whose heart is fused with a core will decide the fate of the Neuroi. That is what we Neuroi believe in."

Heart fused with a core? "Wait, that's why I can understand you? But...how?"

Ellios smiled slightly. Is it creepy that she's not the real Ellios I knew? "Let us show you..."

I was soon shown a scene I found myself remembering. I was sitting at my computer typing up something on the screen, but my stance looked more like I was dead tired.

"I think I'm beginning to remember," I said as I looked at myself. "I was up trying to type up some story idea before I forgot. But what happened next?"

"Keep watching..." Ellios told me.

I then watched as the past me clicked on something onscreen, but soon afterward I saw myself rest my head on the keyboard.

"I need a place to take a break..." I said as I yawned.

Okay, I'm confusing myself with this narrative crap at this particular point, so maybe I should make it better on everyone: I'll refer to myself as Past Me for this vision.

Past Me lifted his head to look at something, but he was soon drifting back to sleep.

...Okay, that at least looked better...I hope...

"That's all?" I asked Ellios.

"Just watch..." she told me.

I watched as the screen decided to show a blue screen with a lot of text. At first I thought that a virus had gotten on, but what I saw next made me blink: I watched as the blue turned into a purple hue as something red started showing on the screen.

I was surprised: I was watching a Neuroi core form behind the screen, and Past Me was just dozing off.

Past Me must have felt something was up, for he picked up his head and nearly fell onto his back as he pushed his chair back in an effort to get away, even going so far as to press and hold the power button before going for the reset button. However, The core made its move. It ripped through the screen like it was a liquid and slammed into Past Me's chest. The boy tried removing it from his body, but by the time he could do anything the core had decided to create a red force field. They were soon covered inside its "shield" before a bright red flash emanated from the room, blinding even me. When my eyes managed to readjust themselves, I saw that the room was now empty, the computer now black as it showed that it turned off.

Soon, the vision faded, and I was seeing purple again.

"That's it?" I asked Ellios. "That's what you had to show me?"

"Yes," Ellios answered. "That occurred about two months before you woke up inside an orphanage. Unfortunately, that was all we could recover. Your interaction with the Neuroi core caused you to faint, leaving you to only guess what happened."

"Why didn't you recover any more than that?"

"Because in order for you to not make a hasty choice, we need you to see this conflict for yourself. We needed you to be able to make decisions without feeling anger toward anyone involved in the war. Only when the time comes should you weigh your options and choose what you think is fair."

"So...let me recap that: I have to go on whatever I experience in order to complete some legend that I'm not even sure is possible?" I mean, come on: one man can't decide the fate of some force...wait, I forgot that Commander Shepard did that.

Okay, now that I think about it, has my entire experience involved making choices that would have been irreversible? Catching Charlotte's Striker Unit instead of letting it fall into the ocean? Not killing the Neuroi that shot down Mio? Going against Minna's orders to help the girls?

Okay, what the hell?

"We understand that this is all a bit much to throw at you," Ellios said, "but we wish for you to see this so that you can start to understand your destiny. You had said that nothing was set in stone. We're not sure what you mean by that right now, but we do know that if you and the ones whose trust you hold fail to stop what you call the Warlock, your demise will be inevitable. As will ours."

"Demise? What happens to us?"

Ellios looked hesitant. "You wish to know what will befall you?"

"Yes."

"Why? Knowing your fate could shock you."

"You can't see the meaning behind our fates not being set in stone? Well, I'll explain how I see it to you. I've seen the end, and no matter what happens I will defeat the Warlock. I'm not letting anyone die, and if this is as bad as you claim then I'll use it as a drive to not fail." I placed a hand to my chest. "I need to know!"

Ellios looked at me before sighing. "Very well, Roland. I will show you."

XXXXXXXXXX

_I was floating there, scratches littering my body alongside burn marks from the Warlock's lasers. I had my aura actively searching to see who was alive, but I could only sense Gertrud as she was holding up Minna and Perrine. For some reason, their auras were weak, like they were dying._

_I raised a barrier in time to deflect a laser from the Warlock, but I heard Gertrud scream as I turned around and saw her get hit with the attack._

_"Gertrud!" I shouted as she started plummeting toward the water alongside Minna and Perrine. Turning my attention to the Warlock, I gave off a bloodthirsty scream as I flew at it inside my Striker Unit. The Warlock simply side-stepped it and drove one of its blades into my stomach._

_I coughed up blood as we floated there. I fired off a few shots from my pistol, but the bullets didn't do much to its armor. Soon, I could see it open up its body to reveal a Neuroi core._

_"So that's it, huh?" I said through my coughs. "You've ended up like me, huh?"_

_The Warlock aimed an arm at me, and I saw a red glow starting to emanate from the cannon on the arm._

_The last thing I saw was red..._

XXXXXXXXXX

I opened my eyes and found myself looking up at a ceiling. For some reason, I felt my heart racing.

Was I dead? That vision sure felt real...

Wait, why am I lying down? Wasn't I in the air?

I raised my head and noticed that I was lying on the couch inside the cabin. There were also a bunch of playing cards lying on my chest and stomach.

"Why are there cards on me?' I asked.

"Oh, lieutenant!" I heard Erica say as I noticed that she was on her knees next to me. "Sorry, but there weren't any tables to use, and I didn't want to use the floor..."

"What the devil are you talking about? What happened? Why am I lying down? And what were you playing?"

"You fainted for some reason," Minna told me as she and Gertrud entered my field of vision. "We put you on the couch."

"As for what happened since then," Gertrud included, "we just kept an eye on the place."

"What happened anyways?"

"Huh?" I asked, confused. "To me?"

"Yes, lieutenant," Gertrud said as she nodded.

What did happen to me? I'm still trying to figure that out.

That vision of our fate should we fail...that was just a vision? That was too real; I'm hyperventilating and everything right now.

I shook my head. Whatever actually happened to me, there was one thing I could agree with right now: Maloney needs to pay for what he's doing. And he's going to give me some much-deserved answers!

"I have unfinished business with the general..." I growled.

"With?" Erica asked.

I stood up, swept the cards off my body, and walked slowly over to the window. When I got there and picked up a pair of binoculars that was nearby, I could barely see the Warlock as it was stopping just outside the Neuroi nest. It looked odd, like it was trying to think of something.

"That's odd..." I said as I felt Minna look over my shoulder.

"What is it?" the commander asked. I handed her the binoculars, and she took a look for herself. "The Warlock certainly took care of the Neuroi inside...but why isn't the nest going away?"

I frowned. "That's what I feared..."

The vision had the Warlock with a Neuroi core...in the original, Yoshika was shown a Neuroi core by the Warlock itself...

No...that bastard!

"What's happening, Roland?" Minna decided to ask me.

I crouched, grabbed the extra pair of binoculars, and stood back up in time to use said binoculars to watch as the armor of the Warlock started emitting some red sparks.

"I need to go," I told her. "Now!" I dropped the binoculars and made a dash for the door, but Gertrud slid in front of me.

"We're not letting you go in there alone," she told me. "You want us to trust you? We'll go with you. We need to stick together."

"Agreed," Minna added. "You're the only one who knows what needs to be done. We lose you, it's all over."

"Even if we all die?" I asked them.

As I looked at them, each of them looked a little shocked, but they recovered and smiled bravely.

"Of course," Minna said. "We're a team, remember? We win or lose together."

"It's time I repaid you for helping to save my life," Gertrud added.

"Finally we decide to get in on the action," Erica concluded (how come I wasn't too surprised considering that she was probably bored with sitting around and waiting?). "Just give us the word and we'll follow."

"Give you the word?" I asked as I looked at Minna again.

"For this part, you're leading," Minna told me. "We're ready when you are."

I nodded. "Maloney...we're coming for you! Just you wait!"

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**There's the next chapter in the story.**

**Please read and respond, and let me know what you thought of the chapter.**

**Thanks.**


	21. We Will Fly (Part 2)

**Alright, I'm back with the next chapter in "Strike Heroes".**

**Now, before I begin, let me answer some of the reviews I've received:**

_fuji92_**: The final battle is getting closer, and with Roland having to change the outcome shown to him or else relive it in reality...that is going to be one hectic battle when it happens.**

_james (Guest)_**: I think I explained it within the beginning of the story, but just in case...Roland does explain in his narrative that he came from a different world where humanity didn't deal with the Neuroi. He also adds that the Strike Witches themselves "are nothing more than characters designed for our entertainment". I hope that helps clear up the confusion, but feel free to let me know.**

_Dragonman75_**: Thanks for the review. I hope the rest of the story continues to entertain.**

_GAT-X105VividPanzer_**: I don't think it really matters about the trope...though it's nice that you mentioned it. As for the rest of your review, thanks for the support. Hopefully you'll continue to enjoy the story all the way to the end.**

**Now, with those reviews out of the way, it's time to move on to the conclusion of this arc...**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 21: We Will Fly (Part 2)**

"This is going to be rather...difficult," I said as Minna, Gertrud, Erica, and I were looking at the two guards keeping an eye on the main entrance into the base. We were behind a rather large tree perfect for keeping ourselves out of sight.

"Any ideas?" Gertrud asked me.

Well, there's some options I can use...let's see, there's the sex appeal, the sneak in another way, the full-on assault, the not-so-full-on assault (only difference is that we knock those guards out first), the sneak in when they leave...

Okay, maybe I should think about all those options. Option 1 might be rejected by the girls, but I'm not sure. So I voiced that option to them, adding that if they didn't feel comfortable with that idea then we'll scrap that one and pick something else. Gertrud said something about the men most likely fighting them instead of the intended result, and I remembered that these guys must be immune to the fanservice part based on the fact that the Witches don't even wear pants when not flying. At least, as far as clothes goes.

Back to the drawing board...Option 2? Maybe, but I don't see any other way inside.

What about Option 3? The full-on assault might work, but we'd spend too long trying to keep ourselves from being overwhelmed. Besides, chances are Maloney would hide or destroy the evidence we so desperately need.

Option 4 didn't seem any better than Option 3, but it gave us a period of grace before they came rushing at us.

I really doubt Option 5 would work: how often do guards leave their posts at convenient times in real life? Actually, I don't know, but I don't think they're both going to the bathroom anytime soon.

"Any luck?" Minna asked me.

"Erm..." I said as I gave it some more thought. What would a spy do?

Never mind that, what can I use to help us out?

In frustration, I looked at the window leading to the quarters I used to have...hang on, the window? I used the window to get to Yoshika's room earlier this morning.

Actually, it's perfect...I hope. It has height, and I don't think the guards are actually watching the building itself. Now, to find a good position...

"Follow me and stay quiet," I whispered as I crouched and sneaked past the watchful guards until I was around the corner. The others seemed to have caught up with me, so that's good.

"What are you thinking?" Erica asked.

"How good are your climbing skills?" I asked as I looked up at the building.

XXXXXXXXXX

Exercise never really killed anyone, I think...but heights almost certainly can.

Especially as we had to avoid alerting any guards and making them look up. I was in the lead, followed by Minna, Gertrud, and Erica in that order.

Having climbed it this morning, I had some experience. Judging from the others, well...

"Is this the best plan you had?" Gertrud asked me as she shot off a glare. I don't think she was too particularly fond of climbing on a building to sneak in right smack in the middle of the day.

"I don't know..." I started as I fired off a devious smile. "We could go back and try the first option."

"Now's not the time, Roland," Minna warned me as I started checking windows to see if any were unlocked.

"Okay." Let's see, the first window's no good... "Let's move on."

We scaled sideways to the next window, and I tried again. No good as well. A third window when we reached it was locked also.

"Do you girls seal your windows or something?" I asked them.

"Does it matter?" Gertrud retorted.

Um... "No?" Okay, maybe I should scale back and try my window. I don't think I locked it, so we should be able to get in.

One problem: I was leading the group, and my window was in the opposite direction. How was I going to get around the others with a small ledge? There's a small indent in the window's space, but I'm not particularly fond of the idea of using that for some reasons I won't delve into.

Aha! What about hanging on the edge and moving under them?

"Uh, do you girls mind if I do something?" I asked them.

"What did you have in mind?" Minna asked me. When I explained my idea, she seemed perplexed but nodded her head in approval. A quickl look at the others gave me the same answers.

I turned around and carefully lowered myself so that my fingers held onto the ledge. Good, it seems possible...but can I avoid falling?

I moved my hands in the direction I needed, the girls being kind enough to move their feet so that I had no added difficulty. When I was clear, I clambered back onto the ledge and used my feet to travel again. I led the girls back to the window I first saw, and I noticed that we were dangerously close to the guards at the entrance.

I silently checked the window, and when I tried opening it, it slid up so that there was a space to put a finger through.

I am so thankful I didn't lock the window like everyone else...

I slid it up until I could crouch and slip in, landing on the floor softly so as not to make a sound.

"Alright, who's first?" I asked them.

I helped Erica through the space I created without a problem, and Gertrud followed in a similar fashion. It was when I got to Minna that something had to happen...

XXXXXXXXXX

_Minna's POV_

I don't know how it happened: I was trying to get into Roland's quarters using the opening he had nudged open from his window when I felt one of my feet slip off the edge. In response, the rest of me was caught off-balance, and I started falling backward.

"Commander!" I heard Roland say in fear as he lunged out and caught my right hand with his left hand. My right foot landed against the edge to prevent me from falling to the ground below while my left foot found purchase on the edge. "Hang on, ma'am."

"Don't let go," I told him as I looked down. "That's an order."

"Order understood." He pulled me back onto the ledge as I crouched to be able to get inside. However, I think I did some sort of mistiming: as soon as I was back on the edge, I think Roland was still pulling, and I found myself going right through the window as I crashed into the Neuroi Witch (now that I had thought of a better nickname that suited him).

I think I blacked out for five seconds, and when I came to my senses I could feel that something was off. I looked at Roland, who looked rather worried.

"Are you okay, ma'am?" he asked.

"I think so," I said as I shook my head. "Thanks for that."

"No problem, commander." He sighed in relief. "Now, where is my left hand at...?"

I think I knew where it was because for some reason I felt something squeeze one of my breasts.

"Uh, lieutenant?" I asked him as I watched his face turn to one of puzzlement. "I think I know where your hand is..."

"I think I do too..." Roland added as he looked like he was putting two and two together before he was soon blushing.

Suddenly, the door barged open to reveal two guards. We could only lie there as they took in our position. However, what their next move was going to be I would never know because Barkhorn and Hartmann had grabbed his lamp and his small night table, gotten behind them without them noticing, and swung the objects at the back of the heads of the two unsuspecting guards, rendering them unconscious.

"If you two are done getting intimate," Hartmann decided to say, "let's get to the general without any more trouble."

"Right," I said as I got off of Roland and stood up.

"Sorry about that, commander," Roland apologized as he got onto his feet again.

As he rushed ahead of me, I gained a slight blush. You know, I didn't really mind that episode...but next time I hope it happens without an accident to precede it.

At least, if it was him again...

XXXXXXXXXX

_Sanya's POV_

As Eila and I got off the train we had boarded in order to transfer to one that would take us to our destination, we could hear some people talking around us.

"Okay," Eila said as she looked at the tickets. "We're here, so I guess we need to board another train to get to the next point..."

"Eila?" I asked her.

Eila took some time to look at me. "What is it, Sanya?"

"I...I wanna go back."

I watched as Eila blinked. "Why do you want to go back now?"

I frowned slightly. "I was thinking about Roland...and what you said about his future..."

"Oh, back to that again?" She sighed. "Sanya, I know you're still upset, but..."

"If Roland's future said that he would bring balance to our lives, how can he do that when we're over here?"

Eila stopped. "Sanya, I'm sure Roland and the others are fine. Knowing him, he may be moping around, but he's still alive as long as he doesn't get seen by Commander Minna."

"I know you don't understand, but he and I share the same problem!" When Eila cringed in slight fear, I sighed. "We both don't have a home to go back to. We're both split from our parents. The only difference is that he's split by being in a separate world. I don't know where my family are, but I know they have to be still alive. I'm sorry, Eila, but I'm not leaving Roland to try fighting this battle by himself. I'll never let him."

To my surprise, Eila sighed yet again. "Well, there's no getting around it...if you really want to, you can head on back. But..." she held up a finger. "You're not going to him by yourself. We're still partners in this, so I'm coming too."

I gasped. "Eila?"

"Consider it a bit of gratitude I have for him caring about us. Now, the train we just took heads back towards the base, so let's take that there."

I nodded as we walked over to a car that had no walls and had a bundle of lumber on its surface. Eila helped me onto the car before hopping on as well.

As the train left and we got comfortable on the cargo, I leaned into Eila and closed my eyes as I drifted into slumber.

I guess she wasn't kidding when she said that the train might not have taken us to where we wanted to go. Before, I guess we wanted to go back home.

But our home right now was the base, and Roland was still around there...

XXXXXXXXXX

_Roland's POV_

You know, I think we abandoned the old "sneak in quietly" spiel when the guards barged into the room and, after Gertrud and I dispatched them, the rest of their colleagues decided to come and apprehend us.

I delivered a harsh uppercut to a guard as Gertrud performed a judo throw on another. Erica and Minna were making sure we weren't going to be surrounded by covering our backs.

"You know," I said rather jokingly. "This is something I never thought I'd do around here. Storming the base we were driven out of."

"You'll see more once this is done," Gertrud added as we ran to the control room's double-door. Two more guards awaited us there, but the captain and I managed to somehow make a Dual Tech (since that was the only name I could think of at the time) work. She managed to hook her arms around mine so that we were back-to-back before jumping up as I spun her around. Her feet slammed into one guy's chest before landing and bending over so that I could kick the other guy in the chest with my feet.

"Nice," Minna said as she and Erica noticed two more guards coming toward us. "Think you could help us with that?"

"Sure," I said as Gertrud let me go and I charged at Minna, who held her arms out. I grabbed her arms, and she dropped onto her back and set her feet on my stomach. Kicking hard, she catapulted me as my feet flew over the rest of my body. I delivered a kick to one guy and managed to recover quickly after that. Standing up quickly, I blocked a few punches from the other guy before shoving him back and turning around.

"Ready, Erica?" I asked the blond-haired Karlsland Witch as I crouched low and set my hands together in a boosting stance.

Nodding, Erica ran and set her left foot inside my hands. I gave her a boost which launched her over the guy as he ran toward me, the girl delivering a kick to the back of his head. He stumbled forward and ran his stomach into my waiting right fist as I swung it at him.

Taking my fist out of the guy and shaking it as he fell to the ground unconscious, I said, "There. Clean-up on Aisle One."

"Are you going to keep making up weird sayings?" Gertrud asked me as she and Minna joined us.

"Until I get bored," I said before giving it some thought. One saying I remembered was _Better leave an address with your body so I can mail it to your head_. Though it would work perfectly with a shotgun. "Erm...nope, still fun. Besides, some things I use as quotes."

"Now that I think about it..." Erica asked as she looked at my weapons. "You still have the weapons on you. Why not use those?"

"Too much fun. Why make it easy to do some serious harm? Besides, I'm only going to use them in an emergency."

"Are we ready?" Minna asked.

"Pretty much," I said. "Let's go and kick some ass."

Gertrud and I took one side of the double-door and pushed, opening it quickly by shoving our weight into the door itself. The door came off its hinges and fell to the floor, revealing Maloney and a group of men inside the room.

"Delivery," I said as I read off an imaginary piece of paper in my right hand. "One ass-kicking for a General Trevor Maloney."

Maloney frowned as he looked at us.

"I see that you're still around, commander," the general said. "And it looks like you brought along your teammates and that boy of all people."

"It doesn't seem that you have the position right now to make threats," Minna told him. "We saw the Warlock give off sparks, and if that thing kills Miyafuji, the major, or Perrine...then you'll wish you were never born."

"I see that's how you want to play, you four...let me fill you in on something." He snapped a finger.

"Huh?" I asked before I got a strange tingle in my back. It felt like something was going to strike at me from behind...

I didn't bother trying to figure out if I was right: I ducked under the arms of a guard who tried to pin me, swung my right leg in a sweeping motion that went clockwise to make him trip, and (with a good force to stop its revolution as I stood up), delivered a kick to his stomach as he was falling to the floor. He plopped onto the floor in pain as I removed my offending limb from my target.

I looked at the girls next to see how they fared, but it seemed that they were caught off guard as well: Gertrud had her arms pinned behind her back, Erica had hers pinned to her sides, and Minna had been placed in a sort of chokehold.

Glaring back at Maloney, I growled, "Let them go, Maloney!"

"Wouldn't really dream of it," Maloney replied. "Did you honestly think I'd let you four walk in here, grab whatever you wanted, and scurry away without a hitch?"

I couldn't help but give off a faint smile. "Actually, that was a primary goal...but there's one problem with your statement: I weighed the odds, and we accepted them anyways. I know the Warlock goes haywire, and its target is the _Akagi_. The same ship three of our teammates are on."

Maloney laughed. "I didn't try impressing the top brass to be done in by a boy who doesn't even belong here and three Karlsland Witches who stuck their little noses where it shouldn't have gone."

"Better that then a shit-covered noser like you."

Maloney glared at me. "Was that an attempt to insult me by calling me a brown-noser?"

Considering the fact that if the Warlock _did_ work, then it would have spelt the end for all Witches... "I guess you could call it that."

"Then maybe I should tell you a little more about yourself..."

"I was hoping we were going to swing by that part of the conversation."

"Well, here's your chance: we found you inside a crater that was somehow created in the middle of a floating island that was where California once stood. We weren't too concerned with why it was there in the first place, and even if we wanted to the whole island sank before anyone could climb on and get some samples. But that's not what you wanted to hear, was it?" When I shot him a glare, he cleared his throat. "Anyways, you were our little secret. In fact, only a secret organization whose name I cannot reveal did tests on you. You probably wouldn't remember: you were too busy lying unconscious. Anyways, when we took some blood samples from you and ran some tests, we discovered that your blood had an abnormal amount of magic energy. This abnormal amount meant that you had a lot of potential...but as we couldn't see if you actually had magic at the time, we settled for taking a guess that you had been from a family with Witches in its branches. However, we checked the blood tests' results to see if we could find your family name anywhere. There was never a Sage or anyone with any part of your Dee-En-Eh in them. When we looked at the magic level we figured out that you had been corrupted by a Neuroi core. Most of the members of the organization wanted you destroyed in case you decided to kill all of humanity, but the head of the group, a man known only as Duke, convinced everyone else that we can learn from you and be able to fight the Neuroi with the knowledge you had. And we would have been able to if someone didn't decide to interfere with our research and take you out of our reach."

"So that's why I was in an abandoned orphanage..." I was still slightly confused: did they leave me there because I had no family to go back to or because it was the only place they could have hid me without any records of me being there?

"We thought that you had stayed hidden...until your blood sample resurfaced when you enlisted in the army, along with your name. After that, we knew that we needed to resume our research. So work began on the Neuroi Striker Unit, so named because of our discovery of your Neuroi core. After that, it was only a matter of time before you would be starting to serve in the Witch Corps, so when the prototype was complete we had it given to General Weiss, an unsuspecting person, to give it to you when you were ready to leave your old base. A while later, I was selected to head the development of the Warlock." Maloney then smiled at me, but it wasn't a cheerful smile: it looked very...devious... "Does that help ease your worries? Knowing that I was heading the development of the prototype Striker Unit?"

I lowered my eyebrows. I think I already figured that out, Mr. I-Spilt-That-Detail-In-The-Nineteenth-Chapter (man, I must really be going insane now with all this information...). "That may explain some things...but there's still things I don't know about: who was it that got me out of there? What happened to that person? And how in the world did you make the prototype so that it didn't tear up these cargo pants?"

Maloney blinked briefly.

Okay, the first two sounded legitimate for this timeframe, but...I'm asking him about the fact that the Striker Unit still works with or without pants now of all times? Either I'm the world's biggest idiot or I finally cracked.

I mean, really: I find out that I'm inside an anime world, I have my fair share of trouble plus some embarrassing moments and some great ones, I dropped my secret in front of the entire wing...and I find out now that Maloney had been heading the production of the source of my troubles?

...Okay, maybe it makes sense given the fact that the Warlock had him on the team...but come on!

"I can't tell you anymore," the general began, "but I can at least say this: it was no easy task trying to get it to not rip those cargo pants to shreds. We had to develop a sort of prototype scanner that checked the material, and we had to go through a lot of pants before it actually worked without it."

"Now I want to see the damn schematics myself!" I shouted randomly.

"Is now really the best time to ask for them?" Gertrud asked me as I looked at the others.

Hang on, did I forget something here?

...

...

...Damn! I forgot that they were being held hostage.

"Anyways," Maloney said as he motioned with his right hand, "it was nice and all telling you what you wanted, but now let's get to business...make any wrong move and my men will blow your teammates' brains open."

I glanced at them really fast and noticed that the guards, while they had pistols on the right side of their hips, had their guns in their holsters still.

"They don't look ready..." I said quickly.

"Only if you make a mistake," Maloney added.

A hostage situation...like at the parfait shop...well, I have weapons now, but I can't see anything useful for saving one of them. That was all the time I would have before the other two got killed, and I wasn't going to let that happen on my watch. Besides, if I had no choice but to, Gertrud or Minna would be my best guess. The commander would still be able to lead us, and the captain could help me fight these guys off...but what about Erica?

I closed my eyes and reached out to the auras around me. I wasn't concerned about colors other than the ones belonging to my teammates, but I was trying to think of an idea. We are about fifteen feet away from Maloney, and I can sense the captors splitting up to ensure that if I struck at them they weren't all going to be hit.

I sighed, I have no choice...

I took a few steps as I felt myself walk until I was halfway between Maloney and Gertrud, whose captor hadn't moved and was still behind me.

Three hostages...three targets...how many bullets? Considering that I don't think I used my pistol since I checked it, I had to assume I had three shots left with a full clip in my right side pocket. So...three shots...

"What, are you planning to surrender?" Maloney asked me.

"Roland, don't give up!" I heard Minna shout out. "We're fine. Just worry about yourself!"

"I'm your superior, lieutenant, now that I think about it...so maybe I should just do this: I order you to surrender yourself and end this all."

"No way! Roland is not under your command, even if you are a general. Lieutenant, I'm ordering you to get out of here!"

I flashed my eyes open in defiance.

"I don't listen to your orders, general," I told him point-blank. Glancing at Minna, I added, "And I'm not under your command, commander." I gave off a slight wink so that Maloney didn't think something was going to happen.

Minna gasped before she nodded. I hope she remembered that she made me the leader for this part.

Alright...I closed my eyes again and breathed deep.

I hope that the laws of physics with a gun didn't backlash on me despite being in an anime...

I checked everyone's position before reaching for my pistol slowly, stopping as I took another breath.

...Now!

I turned around and, grabbing the Browning HP within my spin, brought it to bear on Gertrud's captor as he was reaching for his gun. I fired a shot past his hand, and he flinched. However, I think he had relaxed his grip on Gertrud because she drove her left heel on his right foot's toes, making him yelp as he let her go. I put my left arm in an L-shape as I rested my right elbow inside the groove, me holding the pistol sideways. This was where I was hoping that the laws of gun physics would not screw me up: I was risking eating a lot of gun if this went wrong and the recoil goes into my face.

BANG!

I felt the recoil go to the left as the bullet ripped through the left hand of the one holding Erica. I was a little horrified that I actually shot him, but two things were keeping me focused: the severity of the situation and the fact that I was in the middle of something.

I spun my body around as I turned to aim toward Minna, and I watched as the guy's gun came to bear against her forehead.

Now or never...

I twisted my left hand so that I could grab the area where the clip would go and fired at the man.

Actually, I'm kinda lucky that he was holding her in a headlock: the fact that her body wasn't in my way meant that I had less of a chance of hitting her: considering that he was probably a left-handed shooter (he had her with his right arm, and his left hand had the pistol), she was in no danger from the start...minus the fact that my stance was not something I would use.

But this is an emergency right now.

Anyways, the bullet plowed through his left shoulder, making him drop the gun as he let go of her.

Hey, I just pulled off a gun trick you'd probably see in action movies!

...Wait, I actually pulled that off? Right, anime world...the law of physics aren't always perfect, right?

The girls came to my position as I holstered my gun. I should have no bullets left, and if I tried reloading in the open then Maloney could have some more shooters ready to fire before I could do anything.

Instead, Maloney smirked.

"I didn't think you would do that," he said. "However, I think this is getting more interesting..."

"Stand back, ladies," I said as I clenched my fists. "I can handle whatever he throws at us."

"Not alone, you aren't," Gertrud replied as she threw her right fist into her left palm. "Let's show these guys the true might of a pair of Witches who can fight hand-to-hand."

I nodded. "Okay...let's go!"

XXXXXXXXXX

_Roland: Next time on **Strike Heroes**..._

_Lynette: Roland, Yoshika's in trouble!_

_Roland: I know that, Lynne. I've got it all under control._

_Mio: Seems tough knowing that your end could be a reality if you fail._

_Perrine: What about Gallia?_

_Eila: Don't worry about it, Perrine._

_Sanya: Roland has to know what he's doing._

_Charlotte: Either way, we're with you!_

_Francesca: Yeah! Teammates forever!_

_Gertrud: Not too sure if we'll be a team still when this is all over..._

_Erica: You're worrying too much, Trude._

_Minna: Miyafuji's life hangs on what we do..._

_Roland: ...And I'm not ready to die. Not without knowing that you all are safe._

_Yoshika: Next time..._

_All: **Strike** **Witches**!_

_Roland: This is it, the final battle...let's do this!_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**There's the next chapter.**

**Sorry if it's rather long, but I wanted to set it up as best as I could before I go through with the final arc. At this point, it's unclear how this will end. Will Roland and the Witches be able to achieve the ending that originally happen, or will they be destroyed by the Warlock?**

**Anyways, please read and respond, and let me know how this chapter went.**

**Thanks.**


	22. Strike Witches (Part 1)

**Hello, and welcome to the next chapter in "Strike Heroes".**

**Before we begin with the final arc in the story, let's deal with the reviews:**

_fuji92_**: Don't worry. Hopefully I won't disappoint anyone. After all, that would be rather poor management. As for the side-stories, I have confirmed that I was beginning work on it, but it's going to be a while. So be sure to hang on until then.**

_Dragonman75_**: Thanks for the review. See above for information about the side-stories. As for your PM...honestly, I didn't give it much thought. That question does have some importance, but you'll receive a definite answer at some point. Other than that, enjoy the final arc.**

_guest (Guest)_**: Thanks for the review as well.**

_Guest_**: I want to focus on a few projects at a time, but when the side-stories are going on I'll let you know of the future plans. Besides, I need to figure out a plan of attack for the second season.**

**...Okay, I think I have a slight headache now... :)**

**Alright, with that out of the way, let's get going on the final arc in the story of "Strike Heroes"...**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 22: Strike Witches (Part 1)**

_Sanya's POV_

"Sanya, wake up."

I heard someone say that, but I wasn't sure what I was waking up for.

"Sanya, wake up please."

"Hmm?" I mumbled as I slowly opened my eyes.

"Can you wake up a little faster please, Sanya?"

I looked up and found myself looking at Eila.

"Eila?" I asked as I lifted my head off her shoulder and stretched my arms. "What's wrong?"

"Look out there," Eila told me as she pointed outward.

I followed her hand and saw a ship out on the water as something was busy pelting it with lasers.

Wait, lasers? Roland had used a sort of laser when he sported those red lines on his body before...could he...?

...No. It can't be!

"Is it Roland?" I asked my friend.

"No," Eila told me. "It looks like the thing Roland called the Warlock out there. It's attacking one of our ships, but why?"

"I...I'm not sure. Maybe it's looking for Roland?"

"What makes you say that?"

I thought about it for a few seconds. "I'm not sure, but maybe Roland snuck on board...?"

I think Eila smiled a little. "Sounds reasonable, but that can't be right. Wait, aren't Miyafuji, the major, and Four-Eyes on that ship?"

I blinked. "I think they are."

Eila looked down the tracks. "Let's hope this train gets us back to the base before that ship's destroyed."

I nodded. If anyone died before we got there, who knows what will occur...

XXXXXXXXXXX

_Roland's POV_

"They're getting tired. We've got them."

"Heh...no way, bub!"

One guy got a taste of mine and Gertrud's fists at the same time, and I think I broke a few teeth as I shook my right fist. The captain then performed a drop kick to save me from a kick to my back. We then performed our Back-To-Back Kicks attack on a third and fourth guys, and the fourth guy was more resilient to the attack...until Gertrud used her nails to attack, scratching the guy up a lot.

I winced in pain as the guy who got scratched fell down in defeat. Okay, now I was afraid of making her angry...

"Who's next?" Gertrud asked the men as we readied in anticipation for another round.

No one stepped forward to even try fighting us.

And why would they? Just because one of us doesn't have full access to his or her magic powers right now didn't mean that said person wasn't incompetent. Besides, you think they forgot that I was in the army for training? Yeah, I got some training in guns from Kayley, but I didn't rely on my magic a lot.

"Got the data," Minna called out from above us. When I looked at where she was, she was at the general's personal area inside the room, looking through the reports and findings.

At least someone was making good use of the time we spent fighting these bozos...

"Any good evidence?" Gertrud asked.

"Pretty much," Minna replied as she perused through the reports. "According to the reports, there's a Neuroi core inside it. Which explains the fact that the Warlock could defeat those Neuroi so easily."

"Of course," Erica stated. "The only two things that can defeat a Neuroi are a Witch's powers or another Neuroi. So Maloney here decided to make something that would replace the Witches."

"He also needed a reason to disband the Wing, so he gave the orders to kill Roland and Yoshika. When I failed to follow the orders, Maloney disbanded the Witches and assumed control of the base."

Wait, Maloney tried to kill me and Yoshika?

I watched as Minna tensed up slightly.

"Hang on, I sense the Warlock…There's someone fighting it above the _Akagi_," Minna told us.

"Who is it?" Gertrud asked her.

"It's Sakamoto's Striker Unit!"

"But how can she fly it?" Erica tried. "She's still injured from the last time."

"That's the problem. The energy I'm getting from it...it's not her."

I see where this is going...

"It's Yoshika," I said quickly. This was getting close to the end.

"She's up there?" Erica asked quickly. "We've got to help her."

I was about to say something, but Maloney decided to add in something.

"Not so fast," Maloney said as I watched him reach into his pocket. "I've still got the one thing that I can activate."

Without realizing it, I readied my crowbar and threw it at Maloney as he pulled out that remote from before. While I miseed his head and chest completely, I managed to make it collide with the inside of his arm. Wincing in pain, he let it go, and we watched as it flew up into the air before some of his men decided to try rescuing it. However, Erica managed to jump up and grab it, throwing it into my open left hand as I caught it. I then studied the remote: there were two buttons. One said, "LOCK/UNLOCK" (I assumed that I had to push that to negate whatever Maloney did to me), but it was the other button that made me think.

All it said above the button was "TERMINATE".

"I assume that this would have killed me?" I asked him as I readied my empty pistol and raised it so that I looked like I was going to shoot him. I made sure to have my thumb over the button in question so that he knew.

Maloney frowned as he said, "Yes. Once locked out of your Striker Unit, pushing that button would send an electrical current that would have overloaded your nervous system. I was planning on saving it for when I had no other choice of taming you."

No other choice of taming me? "Look here, bastard." I flicked the pistol a little to get my following point across. "I am not a monster for you to control. I was born human, and I'm still human regardless of whether I have the Neuroi core inside me or not. Now watch me and heed my warning well." I pressed the button that unlocked my Striker Unit, and I felt my power surging back through me. Somehow, I felt more energized than usual. I then threw the remote onto the floor and raised my right foot, using that to crush the device under my shoe. For safety measure, I twisted my foot around a little to ensure that I had destroyed it. "If I find you threatening _any_ of my friends or teammates...or anyone else who met me at all...I'll hunt you down and end your miserable little life myself, rules or not." I turned around and holstered my pistol. "Now that I've got that out of my system...Gertrud?"

"Yes, lieutenant?" Gertrud asked me.

I hitched my right thumb at Maloney. "Take care of the general, will you? Show him our hospitality."

"Can do, Sage."

As she worked on using some of the computer wires to make some bonds for Maloney, I walked over to Minna, who was now holding onto the files we needed to prove Maloney's guilt in making the Warlock.

"Now what?" I asked her.

"Well, we need to get access to the Striker Units again," Minna told me. "After that, we need to hope that everyone can get here. Whoever comes will come with us to help out Miyafuji and the others."

"Sounds like a plan." I looked behind me slightly. "Gertrud, you ready?"

"Almost done," Gertrud said as she was finishing up tying Maloney still. To the general, she remarked, "I get it now: to deceive your enemies, you must first deceive your allies."

Gertrud stood aside as I turned around and came up to him.

"Let me tell you something else," I said before I proceeded to strike Maloney with a right punch to the gut. "That's for everything you've put me through as well as for the others. Now, learn your place and don't worry…" I gestured to Minna and the files. "We'll be sure to let the whole world know about your little stunt."

As we ran out of the room to get ready to help Yoshika, Gertrud probably already figured out what I called her back there.

"Gertrud?" she asked me. "How did you know that?"

"Research," I told her simply as we ran.

The bigger question she should have asked was: "Why didn't you call me by my rank?"

XXXXXXXXXX

_Perrine's POV_

Damn...how in the world did it all come to this?

Miyafuji, Major Sakamoto, and I were watching as the Warlock dispatched the Neuroi nest that was nearby, but something seemed ton have happened...it suddenly decided to attack the _Akagi_. As the crew got to their battle station, we tried thinking of some way to distract the Warlock until the crew could evacuate.

That was when the major revealed that she had hidden her Striker Unit inside her wheelchair.

We spent a few seconds trying to settle who would fly the only Striker Unit we had. the major offered to fight, but I objected to it because she hadn't fully recovered from her last set of injuries. I wanted to fly it, but Miyafuji decided to volunteer. I wanted to go up there and fight it to protect the major, but as I watched the little Fuso Witch fly into the air I realized that protecting the major from the ground might be better than doing so in the air.

Not long after, the Warlock decided to fight Miyafuji. She looked like she could barely handle it considering that it kept firing at her as she dropped her barrier, fircing her to put the barrier back up to avoid being killed. A few minutes of doing that occurred before the Warlock decided on slamming into her barrier and forcing her back for an attack option. At one point, it turned its attention on us and unleashed a salvo of missiles that slammed into the ship. The major was caught in the rocking of the ship, and her wheelchair started rolling toward the railing. I tried to stop its advance, but it wasn't enough: we went over the rail, and it took a split second for me to grab the rail with my right hand as I caught Major Sakamoto with my left hand.

That's about where we were right now.

"You okay, ma'am?" I asked the major.

"Uh, yeah," Major Sakamoto told me. "I'm fine Perrine."

I tried pulling us up, but I didn't have the upper body strength to do it.

"We need help!" the major added as she was busy watching the battle taking place in the sky.

"I can't hold on much longer, major," I said in fear as I felt my arm aching from the weight I was trying to keep safe.

It only took a few seconds after I said that for the ship to shake, and I lost my grip on it.

As the major and I screamed while falling, my mind was racing at a very fast pace.

_It can't end like this!_ I yelled mentally. _I'm not dying right now! Not without knowing that Gallia's been liberated!_

I closed my eyes, expecting to hit the cold water.

THUD!

...Huh? Is water supposed to make a thud when you land in it from the height we were at?

I opened my eyes and found Lucchini looking at us as I noticed that we were flying away from the _Akagi_ and Miyafuji. the major and I were in the plane, sitting behind Shirley.

"You two alright?" I heard Shirley ask as she looked at us.

"Uh, yeah!" I said quickly. "Thanks, Shirley."

"No problem. We look out for each other, right?"

We look out for each other? I furrowed my eyebrows.

"What's wrong, Perrine?" the major decided to ask me.

"What Shirley said...it sounds like something Lieutenant Sage would say..." was all I said.

XXXXXXXXXX

_Roland's POV_

"Whoa," I said as we looked at the hangar, which had been sealed with steel I-beams standing up vertically. "They really went overboard with this one, huh?" To Gertrud, I nodded as I grabbed her right shoulder and copied her magic like I did for Mio and Minna. I felt my strength rise to a new height as I readied the new power. "Ready, Gertrud?"

Gertrud simply nodded and replied with, "Ready."

We grabbed two I-beams that were situated side-by-side and managed to lift them up and hurl them behind us. As soon as we did that, I think Minna spotted some people coming toward us.

"Eila," she said as we turned and faced the Suomos Witch and the Orussian Witch. "Sanya. How did you get here?"

"Well," Eila tried. "We kinda fell asleep on the train, and when we woke up we were here. So we came to see if you guys needed some help."

"Well, not exactly," Sanya said in response to Eila's tale. "We gave it some thought before we caught the train and rode it back to where we started."

Eila looked at her Orussian friend as I chuckled.

"You're not the only one who's bad at lying," Minna joked as they looked at me.

"Guilty as charged on the lying, I guess," I said as I smiled. "Do you have any ideas where the others are?"

"Not really," Eila replied. "We thought everyone else was here. Besides Four-Eyes, Miyafuji, and the major."

Four-Eyes? Right, Perrine...

"Well," I said as I nodded at the opening we created. "We need to collect the Striker Units and whatever weapons we need. Let's go."

As we went inside to grab what we needed, Sanya grabbed my right hand.

"Roland?" she asked me.

"What is it, Sanya?" I asked her in return as I turned around and looked into her eyes.

"Are you...back with us?"

I chuckled. "I guess I am, Sanya. Don't worry. I won't betray your trust again.

I think Sanya gave off a smile. "I'm glad to hear it."

She let go of my hand and went off to get her stuff.

XXXXXXXXXX

We had barely finished grabbing all the Striker Units and some weapons out of the hangar when Charlotte and Francesca arrived inside a biplane. When I looked at the vehicle, I could see that Perrine and Mio with them.

"Perfect timing, Shirley," I said as she jumped out of the plane. "We just finished getting ready."

"Roland?" Francesca asked as the others got out carefully. "But I thought..."

"It's fine, Lucchini," Minna said in my defense. "Roland's been of great help so far, right?"

"Yep," I replied.

"Besides," Erica noted, "things are getting more interesting around here."

"Huh?" Perrine asked her.

"Let's go, guys," Gertrud said as she tapped my shoulder. "We can't wait around forever."

"Alright, Gertrud," I told her as I turned to face her. "We still need Lynne here, so hang on just a little longer..."

"Wait," Eila said as she did a quick head count. "One...two...three...where's Miyafuji?"

"She's that-a-way," I replied as I pointed at the battle going on around the _Akagi_.

"Let's gear up," Minna ordered.

Soon, we could see Lynette as she was running toward us.

"Come on, Lynne," I said kindly as I waved at her. "If I can get back on the team after everything that went on, you can make it over here."

"You're the last one to make it," Francesca added.

I think Lynette renewed her efforts to get to us.

"Sorry I'm late..." she said as she was panting upon arriving at where we were.

"It's alright," I told her as I grabbed her left shoulder. "You're on time, actually. Get geared up and we'll go finish this once and for all." I reached for an Arisaka we had in our collection to sling onto my back.

Before I could grab the gun in question, Lynette decided to lunge at me and hug me tightly.

"Lynne?" I asked in confusion.

"You and Yosh were the reason I've tried my best," Lynette told me plainly. "No matter what, I won't stop trying. I want to protect everyone too."

I smiled. "Don't worry, Lynne. No one's going to die." I hope... "Now hurry up and get ready so that we can end this." After that, I powered up my Striker Unit as I reached over and grabbed the Arisaka. I then slung it over my left shoulder.

Now, the final battle was coming closer...

"Let's do this!" I shouted as I took off down the runway.

"Right!" everyone else replied as they followed suit after a while.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**There's the next chapter.**

**Just for some quick notes about this chapter...the narrative in Sanya's point of view is supposed to be set sometime within the Warlock attacking the _Akagi_ while Roland and the others were doing what they were doing. I hope that the way I wrote that part makes sense, but let me know if I need to fix anything.**

**Anyways, please read and respond, and let me know how you found this chapter. I want to finish this story strong, so your feedback is very valuable at this point.**

**Thanks.**


	23. Strike Witches (Part 2)

**Hello, and welcome to the second-to-last chapter in the story of "Strike Heroes".**

**Now, before we begin the conclusion to this arc, there are some reviews I need to reply to:**

_fuji92_**: Thanks for the review. I hope you enjoy the upcoming battle and its conclusion.**

_Dragonman75_**: It's nice to hear that the story was good. We'll be going in strong (hopefully) for this arc conclusion, so hang in there.**

_GAT-X105VividPanzer (Guest)_**: Thanks for the review. Your questions might not be answered immediately, but I promise that those questions will be resolved later on down the road.**

_New Universe Returns_**: Thanks for the review. I'll have more information for your question when I conclude the story, so please hang in there.**

**If you're wondering why I s****aid that this is the second-to-last chapter, there's an answer for that...the final chapter is going to be a sort of epilogue set some time after this chapter. It will also be used to set up for the future of the Strike Witches (especially Roland's). I hope you readers don't mind waiting a little longer before this story ends, but I feel that it should help out later on down the road.**

**Anyways, enough rambling for now. Let's get going, shall we?**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 23: Strike Witches (Part 2)**

_Yoshika's POV_

I wasn't sure how much longer I could last fighting the Warlock.

Without any help from any of my teammates, I could barely attack because the Warlock kept on trying to ram into me. I had to keep my barrier up to avoid being overwhelmed. That, and the _Akagi_ had sank below the water. Luckily, the crew had evacuated before that, but it was still upsetting to see that happen.

Besides, the few chances I did attack it, my bullets didn't seem to do a lot of damage to it. In fact, I think all it did was make the Warlock angry.

It slammed into my barrier again, making me fly back as my barrier dissipated. Before I could bring it back up, the Warlock flew in and slammed one of its cannons into my stomach, making me unable to move due to the ensuing pain though I was able to float in the air. At that point, the Warlock decided to open up its body to reveal a Neuroi core.

"What...?" I could only say before I coughed.

I wasn't sure what the Warlock was saying, but the core it had felt familiar...like it was Mister Neuroi.

Hang on...if Mister Neuroi was destroyed because of this thing, why does it have the core still? Is it even Mister Neuroi, or had the Warlock always had a core inside it?

"No way..." I said in quiet defiance. "You are...not...my friend...You're...my enemy!"

I tried moving, but I could only float there as the Warlock charged up one of its cannons to finish me off.

Please...someone...help me...

A bullet slammed into its head, making its shot fly into the ocean as I got enough strength to fly back.

The round that was used was charged with magic, and I only knew one person who had that power...

"Lynne!" I shouted as the others arrived to help out.

"Hang in there, Yoshika!" I heard Roland shout as he flew past me to fight the Neuroi, sword drawn and at the ready.

"Roland..." I could only say as the others attended to me.

"Are you hurt, Miyafuji?" Eila asked me.

"I'm fine, Eila..." I told her. "What happened? Why is Roland-kun here?"

"It's a long story," Commander Minna replied. "But he may be the only thing we have against this Warlock for now."

XXXXXXXXXX

_Roland's POV_

I came to a stop as I stared at the Warlock, my sword ready to fight with. In the distance, I could still see the Neuroi nest hovering over Gallia.

"_What's another Witch in my way going to do?_" I heard the Warlock ask in the Neuroi language.

"I can do a lot," I told it in return. "You nearly killed Yoshika, and I'm not going to put up with it."

"_So you're the one who can understand the Neuroi language,_" I heard the Warlock say. Scary how that thing has a Neuroi core and can talk despite most likely not being programmed to speak Neuroi. "_We're the same, you and I. There's no going around it. Your allegiance lies with the very enemy your kind seeks to destroy._"

"I don't think so," I told it. "We may both have been brought in by humans, but...I would never turn against my friends."

"_Humanity created me and made me stronger with the Neuroi core. I'm repaying them in blood._"

"Not a fair trade-off...especially when you try killing my friends."

"_What are they to you? They're just characters in a fictional world. You know that, as do they. Yet why do you keep fighting alongside them?_"

I gave off a slight smile. "I guess after a while you start to learn to appreciate what they're like, fictional or not. I might be an idiot for saying that, but I do know this: only one of us is walking away alive. And I'm damn certain..." I charged at the Warlock. "...that it's not going to be me!"

"_Typical for a human to attack what they fear..._"

I swung the sword at the Warlock, but it blocked the attack with one cannon as it tried to shoot me with the other. I have little time to react, and I barely slid a little bit to the right to avoid the brunt of the attack.

However, I wasn't entirely injury-free after that attack: the shot grazed my left upper arm, and I flew back a bit as I tried to fight through the pain.

_Ellios died by a Neuroi,_ I told myself. _Gertrud and Mio nearly bit it by one...I'm not going to become the next death here!_

I charged at it again and flew past the Warlock as it tried swinging a cannon at me.

"Too slow," I said to it before I sheathed my sword.

Somehow, when I was flying past I managed to cut through it, severing its head from its body. While the Warlock had the Neuroi core, it still had the parts of a machine. As a result, the Warlock found itself falling toward the water, hitting it with a loud splash.

I didn't even bother watching the non-functional Warlock sink below the water as I flew back to the others.

"Roland," Minna asked me as she came to look at my injury. "Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm fine, commander," I told her. "It just grazed me, that's all." I touched the wound and found myself flinching in pain. "I hope I'm fine."

"It looks like the Warlock was defeated…" Mio noted.

The Warlock? Defeated? Did I change the fate that was set before?

Hold on...we're talking about a Warlock with a Neuroi core. I sure as hell didn't hit the core; all I did was remove the head. It wouldn't be able to attack us now at least.

Which means that Gallia wasn't freed yet...

For some reason, we started hearing a rumble under the water. A rather loud rumble.

_What the hell is it now?_ I asked myself before I remembered something. _The _Akagi_ sank below the water, right? And the Warlock...went...under...the..._

I'm hating myself right now.

I turned to face the noise and saw the water starting to move violently, like something was coming back up from its depths.

"Heads up, ladies," I said as I balled my hands into fists. "This is what we who play video games call 'The Final Boss'."

True to my words, the Warlock came out of the water, but it was radically different: the _Akagi_ had been fused with it, making it into a huge airship.

Somehow, I never imagined myself actually looking at it this close. When I saw it on the anime I knew it was big, but this was...well, _big_. Hell, it was intimidating. It was like the first day of me being in the Strike Witches, but this moment was going to cause the death of us if things went downhill in a heartbeat. That's assuming that we don't stop it: at this point, it wasn't just our lives at stake, but everyone in Britannia at the moment as well.

As we watched it fly toward Britannia, we all took some time to switch Yoshika's and Mio's Striker Units back to their rightful owners. Lynette and I worked on holding Yoshika up while Gertrud handled Mio, and Minna, Erica, Perrine, and Charlotte were working on switching the Striker Units to their correct Witch.

"What's the plan?" Minna asked me when we finished, seeing as I probably knew what to do.

"Um…" I said quickly. What options do we have for that...thing? I guess you could call it a thing. "I'm not sure yet. Fight for a while and I'll think of something." I then got an idea. "Commander, Major. Can we find the core?"

"We'll get on it," Mio said as Minna placed her left arm over her shoulders.

"Everyone else is to refer to Roland for this battle," Minna added. "Understood?"

"Right!" everyone said in agreement.

"Hartmann and I will keep it distracted somehow while Commander Minna and Major Sakamoto scan that thing," I stated. "Eila, Sanya—you two stick together. Captain Barkhorn, you and Perrine keep an eye on the scanners. Yoshika, Lynne—you two will wait here. Keep an eye on the field, and fire at or protect yourself from anything that comes at you. Shirley, Francesca—you two take the other side of the ship. When the commander and major finish the scan, everyone meets at Team Yoshika, understand?"

"Right!"

Everyone sprang (more like flew) into action, and my idea worked for the most part. Eila and Sanya worked well together, Sanya using her Fliegerhammer (the name of her rocket launcher according to her) while Eila used her magic to predict where the enemy was going to fire so that they could safely move out of harm's way. Charlotte and Francesca kept their side busy while weaving in and out of the line of fire. At one point, Charlotte pulled out her Bowie knife and slashed along the surface. While it only managed to damage the paint job, it succeeded in making the Neuroi-like target try to focus on them.

However the most interesting part of the battle at this point was Erica and I, who grabbed each other's right hand as we flew past the ship, our bodies glowing white (well, green in my case after I copied her magic).

"Dual Tech!" we called out as one. "Aura…STURM!"

We then proceeded to spin around, the place where our hands met being the center. We were covered by a swirling mass of aura as we spun past the enemy, its attacks bouncing off our defenses. As soon as we were done with the spell, we split up so that I could use the Arisaka now and fire at the ship. I managed to unload a few rounds before Minna and Mio were finished scanning the enemy, and we all retreated to go to Yoshika and Lynette.

"What's the core like?" I asked.

"The core is inside the engine room," Mio told us.

"That deep?" I knew it was around that area, but...I don't even know where that is!

"We'll need someone to go in and destroy it from the inside."

"I volunteer," Yoshika said. Almost typical of her...

"Me too!" Lynette added. Again, almost typical...

"I'll help as well," I added. Definitely typical considering what I've been doing over the last few months. "You'll need someone who can draw their fire once we're inside."

"You'll need someone who knows their way inside the place," Mio continued.

"Erm...well, don't look at me. I don't know that ship inside and out."

"I'll go with them," Perrine said finally. "I know the ship inside and out."

"Good thinking, Perrine."

This made the Gallian Witch blush. "Thanks, major…"

I blinked. I knew that she was going to help us, but it was still surprising to hear her volunteer to help.

"Let's move out, then!" I shouted as we broke up. Soon, the _Warlagi_ (not the best name, but it works) was besieged by us Witches, who were trying to get inside the ship to destroy it. I kept Yoshika, Lynette, and Perrine near me so that we could get going the moment the defenses were breached.

I turned and watched as Charlotte and Francesca flew toward the _Warlagi _before Charlotte flung Francesca ahead of her. The Romagnan girl activated her barrier, but instead of being flat it created smaller barriers to form a drill before she slammed into the ship, making a hole in the hull.

Jackpot!

"Alright!" I said over my radio. "Infiltration team, let's move."

XXXXXXXXXX

Yoshika, Lynette, Perrine, and I flew into the exposed hole, the Gallian Witch guiding us toward our destination.

"I've got this!" I told them as I flew ahead of them. "I'll draw their fire while you three get to the engine room."

Unfortunately for us, the inside had a lot of small turrets that were soon shooting at us. I put up my barrier to defend against some of the lasers, but mine wasn't the best in defending, especially as I found myself losing the barrier as a laser was flying toward me.

I gulped before Yoshika put up her barrier in front of us to stop the laser.

"We stick together, Roland-kun," Yoshika said to me. "We're a team, right?"

"Yoshika..." I said simply before I watched Lynette and Perrine join her to help defend me.

I closed my eyes and felt the red aura and energy from that day as it flowed over my body.

I wasn't sure what it was before...but I know what I can do now...

I crossed my arms in front of me as the aura started getting stronger and my Striker Unit opened up.

"Neuroi Mode..." I started to let the others know of my intentions. "..._ACTIVATE!_"

Soon, I opened my eyes and saw that my arms had the red lines running along them, and I clenched my fists before sending my arms back to my sides.

"Let's do this," I said as I flew ahead. I wasn't too sure how long I could hold this, but I needed enough time to make sure the others were safe.

I flew ahead, the girls keeping up with me. This particular area was where I was learning more about that barrier I had in this form: I could protect myself from any direction when I sensed the shot coming, but I couldn't really protect the others without them being close to me and without putting up a protective shield around us. As I didn't want to see how long the shield would last when I did that, I only saved it when the going got really tough at this point. This left us dodging the lasers fired upon us.

"Whoa!" Yoshika cried out as she was nearly hit. While she wasn't injured, her gun was blasted out of her hands.

"Yikes!" Lynette added as her Bren was also shot out of her hands.

By the time we reached the area where the engine room was supposed to be and I left what I was now going to refer to as Neuroi Mode, I was panting, and the only girl who still had her gun was Perrine, who held her Bren machine gun in her hands.

XXXXXXXXXX

Perrine proceeded to fire her gun into the wall that ended up in front of them as I sat down to let my head catch up with my body really fast, but she didn't have enough ammunition to try opening it that way. I tried for her, but I soon met the same problem. Though it didn't really help that I had an Arisaka and a Browning HP at my disposal.

"Now what?" Yoshika asked as Perrine threw her gun aside and I holstered my pistol.

"Stand back," Perrine told us.

"Why?"

"Just stand back. I didn't want to use this except for an emergency, and it looks like now is one of them."

Is she going to use...?

"I'll join you too," I offered as I grabbed Perrine's right arm with my left hand and copied her magic.

We glowed in a mixture of green (mine) and blue (Perrine) before the spell was finally uttered.

"Dual Tech!" we shouted as one. "Tonnerre…TWO!"

The resulting blast of electricity blew a clean hole through the wall, something that happened with a few repercussions. Perrine's hair looked like she had been zapped one too many time, and I found myself staring to chuckle before I felt my own hair, which was sticking up.

"Does this always happen when you use that spell?" I asked as I smoothed my hair as best as I could. Perrine did the same thing, but it looked like her hair was more used to it than mine: hers looked normal with one or two small spots of curved hair while mine still retained a bit of spikiness. "I feel like a porcupine or something now..." I sighed.

We floated inside, amazed at what we found: inside were a lot of wires leading to the gigantic red core.

"Whoa," was all I could say. All these wires lead to that core? Wait, where did the wires...oh right. The Warlock had some wires...but shouldn't it be, oh I don't know...smaller in area?

"What happens if we destroy this, Roland?" Perrine asked me.

You want to know what the result could be? "Well, Gallia should be liberated."

"That's impossible. The Warlock took care of the Neuroi nest before we got here."

"But wasn't it still around?"

Perrine was about to say something, but she caught herself. "You're right, that nest didn't disappear yet..."

"Trust me, Perrine. Destroy this one, and we have one freed Gallia. Okay?" I soon looked around the room. "Now, how to destroy it..."

Yoshika thought about something and decided on what to do.

"Guys," she stated. "I need your help."

"Sure thing, Yoshika," I told her.

After a while of getting ready, Yoshika was held up by Perrine and Lynette. I floated next to them, ready to watch this battle's conclusion.

After focusing hard, Yoshika's Striker Unit decided to slowly fly off the young girl's legs and fly toward the core. Soon the Striker Unit slammed into the core.

However, in a twist, some sort of cannon formed in front of us, and I found myself flying in front of them in order to protect the girls from the brunt of the attack as I put up my barrier while the entire place disappeared the only way a Neuroi knew how...

XXXXXXXXXX

_Minna's POV_

We were busy fighting the enemy on the outside when it started showing signs of having lost its core.

"Clear the area," I ordered.

We flew back in time to watch the Neuroi as it exploded in a burst of energy.

"They did it," Major Sakamoto said as we watched the particles clear.

"But at what cost?" I asked her. If Roland or anyone else died in there...

Soon, the view was cleared enough to see four Witches, one male and three females. The male Witch had a barrier in place that seemed to have guarded them against an attack.

They're still alive...Thank God...

XXXXXXXXX

_Roland's POV_

When the light finally cleared, we floated there as I dropped my shield. I was panting, something I was surprised at: I must have over-exerted myself back there, but it was the only way to make sure that no one was killed.

"Game, set, and...match," I said simply as I gave off a quick salute with my right hand.

"You did it, Yoshika!" Lynette said as she hugged the little Fuso Witch tightly. Perrine just let go and flew away from us a bit.

"You alright, Perrine?" I asked as I flew next to her. I think something was still bothering her...

"You said that Gallia would be freed," the Gallian girl complained.

Yeah, I was right. I was about to say something when Francesca ended up doing it.

"Hey, look!" Francesca shouted as she pointed at the nest, which was starting to disappear.

"See, Perrine?" I asked as I flew slightly ahead and floated in front of her. "I told you. Gallia has been freed." I then waved my right hand to show her the result.

"Lieutenant..." Perrine started as she tried thinking of something to say. Her final action was to hug me really tight, something I was really surprised at. "Roland...thank you."

"No problem, but I'm not exactly the one who made the sacrifice to end it." I looked at Yoshika.

Perrine nodded as she let me go and went to thank Yoshika.

I floated there and smiled as I heard Minna fly to a stop next to me.

"Are you okay, Roland?" she asked me.

I yawned as I said, "I'm not sure...I feel like taking a nap now..."

Speaking of naps, I felt my Striker Unit power down while I was still in the air, and I fell for a split second before I landed in Minna's arms, feeling drowsy.

"I think you've had enough for now," Minna told me as I laid my head on her chest and closed my eyes.

"Commander..." I said sleepily. "Thank you...for giving me another chance..."

"No, Roland...Thank you for staying by us to the end."

I soon dozed off.

There was still a chance to change the future...and I took it and succeeded.

I was actually surprised that I managed to get the original ending. I took some hits along the way, but it was still here.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**There's the second-to-last chapter for the story.**

**Now that we've hit this point, there's one question I'd like to pose now. No, it's not about the pairings (though if you want to, you can send me what pairings you see as being possible. See the end of Chapter 12 for more info). This time, I want to know this: what was your favorite part of the story?**

**This question is rather simple. Whatever part was most memorable to you, feel free to send me a PM about it or put it in your review (again, if it's allowed). I won't put it in bold like this for the epilogue, so feel free to pick whichever path you want.**

**Also, now that the search has been upgraded to show OCs for the filter by use of the character "OC", I'm adding that to the list of characters now that it's available.**

**Other than that, please read and respond, and let me know what you thought of the chapter.**

**Thanks.**


	24. Epilogue: A New Question Forms

**Alright, now's the moment you've all been waiting for...I'm proud to say this, so here goes: welcome one and all to the last chapter in "Strike Heroes".**

**Now, to kick things off, I'd thought I change it up a little. This time, I won't be responding to the reviews before the story. Instead, I'll do that after the chapter along with the plans for the future. I thought that this would work out because this means that you, the readers, can jump right into the action of finishing this story.**

**So without further ado, let's watch as the epilogue rolls onto the page...**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Epilogue: A New Question Forms...**

_**Dear Letter,**_

_**Well, it's been close to six long months since I last saw the girls that formed the Strike Witches, but luckily they were still keeping in touch with me. Well, at least when they could.**_

_**As far as I knew, the Karlsland Witches decided to take some time off after I left to enjoy themselves for a while. They took some pictures along the way and decided to send them to me. One of them caught my eyes: it was a picture of them outside, I guess while they were camping or something. Minna had gotten the idea of using a small can of food (I couldn't see what the label said or even what it was) like a sort of microphone and was probably singing or something. Erica and Gertrud were sitting on a log as they were watching the commander.**_

_**Of course, they hadn't completely forgotten about me: Gertrud and Erica came by the base I was staying at sometimes to say hi and to chat about a few things. Discipline, mostly. It was Gertrud we were talking about here. I guess Minna would have come as well, but with her position it was going to be rather...hard.**_

_**I guess Lynette and Perrine were next: they both decided to help out with the effort to re-establish a presence in Gallia. I was not really surprised, though. I mean, Britannia and Gallia were very close to each other, so that meant that the two of them could meet up more often than the rest of us. Anyways, Lynette kept me updated on their progress via letters. It seemed that re-establishment plans were going rather smoothly...well, except for the fact that everyone needed to figure out which government was the right one. Other than that, it wasn't too bad.**_

_**As for Charlotte and Francesca...I received a letter from them explaining that they were planning on going into Africa for a while. Apparently the Liberion speedster and her young sidekick had wanted to go there for a while. This was about three months ago, so I wasn't too sure how they were doing nowadays.**_

_**Now I could tell you about Eila and Sanya: while they couldn't find the Orussian Witch's family yet, they were comfortable in Suomos. Though I really wished I could meet her father.**_

_**...You know, maybe now's not the best time to think about family...**_

_**Anyways, Mio and Yoshika were also doing fine: apparently, Mio had been able to send some of her graduating Witch recruits so that I could train them further or something. I wasn't sure...I mean, if they graduated from that academy she was teaching at, why send them to me?**_

_**As for Yoshika...the little Fuso Witch had been helping her mother and grandmother around the family clinic according to the letter she had sent me just last month. In it, she had said something about finishing school, and she was also asking how I was. So I fired off a quick letter telling her that I was fine and that I was hard at work with the job I was offered.**_

_**Oh right...maybe I should explain that in some more detail...**_

Inside the dining hall, it felt like it was rather...gloomy. I mean, it was rather...silent. Like someone had died.

"Um..." I said as I sat between Minna and Gertrud, a plate holding scrambled eggs, two pieces of toast, and two strips of bacon sitting in front of me. "Why does it feel so...gloomy? I mean, we should be proud of ourselves: we've liberated Gallia without losing anyone. So why the long faces?"

"We were just thinking, that's all," Charlotte decided top tell me first. "Miyafuji I could understand being dishonorably discharged, but you?"

Yeah...even with everything that happened to us (what with Maloney's plans and all...), Yoshika and I were still dishonorably discharged. At least, I think that's the term they used. I prefer to think of it as "being let go" or something. "At least I didn't have worse happen to me."

"It doesn't feel right. We all should receive congratulations for what we did. None of us should have been punished."

"I understand, but it was what they thought was fit for us. From my understanding, treason would have gotten us killed. Hell, I'm wondering what'll happen to Maloney."

It was silent again for a few more minutes before Perrine decided to say something.

"Lieutenant..." she started. "I mean, Roland...where will you go now?"

"I'm not too sure right now." I replied as I scratched the back of my head. "Maybe I'll find somewhere to live in Liberion..."

"Well, if you want you can stay with my family."

"Perrine?" Why was she saying that I could stay with her family? And where were they anyways? Wait, forget that: who were they?

"I'm not sure if that would repay you, but I wanted to show my gratitude for you helping to free Gallia...and for staying with us to the end."

I gave off a slight smile. "Perrine..."

"Hang on," Lynette said as she looked at the Gallian Witch. "Roland can stay with my uncle. It's rather peaceful there, so maybe he can take a break from all this."

"Lynne?"

"Well, you could go to Fuso with Miyafuji and stay with her," Mio suggested as she looked at the little Fuso Witch.

"I'm not sure if we have enough accommodations for Roland-kun..." Yoshika said as she blushed slightly.

"Hold on," Perrine interrupted as she stood up. "I don't mind you suggesting that, major, but doesn't it make more sense to keep Roland around here?"

"If you were so interested in providing the lieutenant with housing," Erica told her, "why don't you just let him go back with you to Gallia and help out?"

I raised an eyebrow. Is this going to turn into one of those arguments over what happens to the only male in the room?

"What are you talking about?" Perrine retorted.

"Maybe he could help keep an eye on Chris," Gertrud suggested.

I put my head on the table next to my plate and sighed while listening to the conversation that was growing.

"Roland could come with us back home," Sanya suggested.

"Now you're getting involved, Sanya?" Eila asked her friend.

"You could tag along with us, Roland," Charlotte offered.

"Yeah!" Francesca agreed. "You'd fit right in with us."

I sighed again as my eyes glanced at Minna.

Please Minna...can you stop this madness?

"I think Roland can help the refugees around here," the commander told them.

I instantly brought my face down to the table as I groaned.

...Et tu, Minna?

"Commander Minna as well?" Eila added.

Is there anyone who has a clear head right now?

"I see that you girls are busy trying to offer Roland some ideas for his next stop," a familiar voice said.

"That voice...!" I said as I raised my head and turned to look at the doorway.

Standing there was Air Commodore Adolfine Galland.

"Air commodore," Minna said as she saw who it was.

"Ma'am!" we all said quickly as we saluted.

"I came to this base so that I could see if the lieutenant left already," Adolfine said. "I didn't expect him to still be here, but that makes it a little easier to propose something."

"Propose?" I asked. This better not be about marriage! Last I checked, the guy was usually the one to pop the question. Wait, am I blowing this out of proportion before she even said what she was going to say? "Propose what, ma'am?"

"After all that happened, I think that there are a lot of people who might be worried about the state of our grip on what we have left. We wanted someone who can be a sort of model to show them that we Witches are doing fine. I was personally wondering if you'd like to be a part of that."

"Uh, ma'am? I've been..."

"Don't worry. Your discharge will not be revealed publicly. However, I do realize that you and Miyafuji both had been discharged dishonorably, and while I can't correct it I can at least give you a chance to keep close to your friends."

"Keep close to them?" I looked at each of them. Yeah, I was going to miss them all...but there was something I wanted to do before I left. "I do have one request...when the time comes for the Strike Witches to fight together again, I want Miyafuji and myself to be able to join back up and fight alongside them."

Adolfine nodded. "I understand. I can't make any promises, but one cannot see that far. Besides, why are you making that request?"

"It's something I thought I'd do for everyone. I mean, I never expected them to have to go through all the trouble to keep me safe..." _Especially Minna..._, I said to myself as I glanced at the commander. _Since I first met her in this world, she's been one of the people I've grown close to. But..._

_But how does she feel about me?_

"You don't have to worry about it, Roland," Charlotte told me.

"Exactly," Perrine added. "After all, we look out for each other, right?"

"Look...out for each other?" I asked her. Doesn't that sound like something that would come out of _my_ mouth? Hang on, have I even said it before?

"Don't worry about us, Roland," Minna told me. "In fact, I think we owe you a lot more than you do toward us."

I nodded. "Of course, commander...no, Minna...you know I'm going to miss all of you, right?"

"We'll see each other really soon," Yoshika said. "I just know it."

I gave off a smile. "Alright, Yosh...I believe that we'll all come back together too."

_**Apparently the commodore thought that it was a good idea for me to be wandering through the countries keeping people's morale up. There were good and bad things concerning that idea: the good thing was that I was visiting cities in Britannia, Liberion, and after a month even Gallia...or at least what's left of it. I don't know, and I don't care. The bad news was that with all those stops, I didn't have a lot of time for seeing the others, especially Perrine and Lynette considering that I was around the area when I got to Britannia and Gallia.**_

_**Then again, **__**I was still trying to figure out what my grand purpose was around here.**_

_**Why was I sent here? Why was I chosen to hold the Neuroi core? What's with these stupid questions I'm writing on this piece of paper? What's with that question?**_

_**Maybe what I need is a break.**_

_**Yeah, I do need a break. And not a break from the action: just a break...like going to a park or something...**_

_**Anyways, I guess this is the last letter you might be seeing for a while. Who knows if I'll make it to the next crazy thing. Knowing these girls, I've got a lot in store, huh?**_

_**Signed, **_**Roland Sage**

_**P.S.: Wonder what Kayley's doing? I just thought about that...**_

XXXXXXXXXX

I stretched as I sat up in bed.

It certainly was strange for me to get up and not have to deal with anyone for a change. Maybe I've really grown attached to those eleven girls...

Wait, there were eleven, right?

Minna, Mio, Gertrud, et cetera, et cetera...

I counted off all my fingers before I arrived at the correct count.

Yep, definitely eleven.

I had somehow fallen asleep on my bed after a long day of rallies and who knew what else. I was inside my normal get-up, as usual.

...What? Can't a guy take a nap in the middle of the day without changing his clothes? Besides, it's not like I had a lot to do.

KNOCK KNOCK.

"Hello?" I said as I got up and stretched my arms over my head as I opened the door to find a little boy with a pencil and a piece of paper.

"Hi," the little boy told me. "Are you Mister Roland Sage?"

"Uh, yeah." I looked at the pencil. "Can I ask what you'd like me to do, young sir?"

"If it's not any trouble...can you give me your autograph?"

I blinked. "Uh, sure."

"Thanks so much, Mister Sage."

"Just call me Roland." I watched as the little boy offered me the piece of paper and the pencil. I grabbed them and placed the paper against the wall on the inside as the pencil entered my right hand. "So what can you tell me about myself?"

"Well, you're one of the few powerful male Witches...you've flown with the Strike Witches..."

"Strike Witches, huh?" To...my...number... "Tell me, what do you want to do when you're all grown up?"

"Well, I want to help the Witches by maintaining their Striker units. My pop does automobile assembly for a living, so he doesn't really know much about it...but I want to be able to help out against the Neuroi by doing what I can. Even if I can't fight alongside the Witches themselves."

"You want to try protecting everyone?" ...one...fan...

"I know I can't be there to protect everyone, but I can try protecting those who matter most. Even the weakest Witch deserves to be saved."

...Roland Sage.

There.

"All set, little guy," I told him as I handed him the piece of paper and the pencil back. "Now, don't lose that. And you take care of yourself, okay?"

"Sure thing. Thanks, Roland."

"No problem."

As I watched the little kid run off (probably to show his friends what he just got), I thought back on what he said.

_Even the weakest Witch deserves to be saved._

It sounds like something Yoshika would say...but she wants to protect everyone.

Maybe that's what I was here for. To protect those who matter most.

Which is everyone.

I sighed. No matter what, I was going to be circling back to that response. No getting around it.

I turned around and was about to close the door when I heard the strangest thing.

"YAH!"

CRASH!

"What the-?!" I shouted as I turned around and looked at the person who crashed into the bush next to the door.

...Don't ask me how she avoided taking out the place. Just don't.

"Are you alright, miss?" I asked as I noted that it was a Witch. But why did she look familiar? Let's see...it was after the liberation...could it be...?

"Yeah, I'm fine," the Witch said as she looked up at me. She looked like she was of Karlsland descent or something with the clothes she had on: she was wearing a sage-colored (after I gave the color some thought) military jacket, and she had the ears and tail of a fox (how did I know? Last time I checked, Eila's was a fox as well. Not sure if they were the same species, though...Eila's was black while this one's looked more like Fox McCloud's tail and ears.) as she lied there in the bush. She wore a pair of glasses that were now misaligned on her face, which gave me a little better view of her eye color, which I could describe as being steel-colored (or close to it). Her dark gray hair was also rather messed up, probably from the crash landing she performed. Though it didn't help the fact that I had a clear view of white panties...which brought back the blush from all those times. "I just didn't pay attention at all."

A few minutes later, and she was on her feet, her Striker Unit resting on the ground.

"Are you Roland Sage?" the Witch asked me.

"Uh," I decided to say as I shook my head to clear the blush from my face. Hope she wasn't noticing the blush... "Depends. Who's asking?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. My name's Amaki Suwa."

Amaki Suwa? Don't tell me...she's the one that gave Yoshika those...those... "Amaki Suwa, huh? What's the occasion?"

"I had a few letters to give to you."

"A few?"

"Two, really. Here you go." Amaki handed me two letters after she grabbed them from who knew where. "Now, can you tell me where to find Yoshika Miyafuji?"

"Well...you're rather far if you're looking for her. She's in Fuso. I guess the family clinic if I had to guess."

"Ah, right. Well, I've got to get going. It was nice meeting you, Mister Sage."

"Uh, you too?" Why was she looking for Yoshika now? Unless...

I glanced at the envelopes as Amaki went to get back in her Striker Unit. They looked rather normal, and they had the same weight.

"Minna-Dietlinde Wilcke..." I read from one of them. Okay, it was a letter from Minna. Most likely telling me about how life was treating her. I was rather thankful that she wrote to me.

I shifted it behind the second letter as I unconsciously opened it up. Inside, I found a few notes, like they were someone's diagnostics.

But whose?

I read the name at the top.

Roland...Sage...

Roland Sage? Okay, who did the second envelope say this came from?

I looked at the open envelope and found myself nearly dropping the envelope, Minna's letter, and the diagnostics.

Doctor Ichirō Miyafuji.

I soon found myself saying the one thing I never really thought I'd say since I got here.

"Here we go again..." I said to myself.

Whatever Amaki was taking to Yoshika, I realized that I was going to be put back in the middle of something huge...again.

But what?

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**There's the conclusion to "Strike Heroes". I hope that it worked for finishing the story while setting up for the next one. I spent quite a while tangling with the epilogue, and hopefully it paid off.**

**I guess the first thing I need to do is the announcements: there will be a sequel to this, by (at least I think so) popular demand. This marks two projects I am going to undertake: first Project Himebana, and now...for the sequel we'll call it Project Return.**

**Anyways, let's move on to the reviews:**

_SoulBreakerxXx8 (Guest)_**: Thanks for the review. As stated above, the sequel is indeed in the works.**

_GAT-X105VividPanzer (Guest)_**: Indeed. But it's nice that you liked the story since you started reading it. I hope that you'll continue on and read the sequel when it comes time. The same goes for everyone else who's read this story since the beginning.**

_chimeraguard_**: It's not too late to give me your ideas for the pairings, and like I said the first time I just asked out of curiosity. Though the possibilities are starting to get narrower and narrower now. But we'll have to wait and see what route I'll finally choose, so be sure to keep reading when the time comes.**

_New Universe_ Returns**: I like the idea, but I'm working on how I want to begin it. Regardless of how this epilogue did for setting up the sequel to this one, I have to figure out how I'm going to go about this task. But like I said, that's not a bad idea...I'****ll have to work the idea around in my head for a while. That, and I need to handle Project Himebana as well, so we'll have to wait and see.**

_Darkspecter141_**: As far as your question is concerned, I have already answered your question. I hope to see you in the first chapter of Project Return (working title for now), though.**

_Dragonman75_**: Thanks for the review. It's been an honor having you and everyone else be able to read this story and enjoy this. I hope this epilogue is good, and I'll see you in the future.**

fuji92**: Wow. I am honored to say that you've put in reviews for every chapter in this story thus far, including guest reviews you signed. Heck, I think you were the first one to put in a review for this story. It's hard to imagine that when I first started writing this that someone would have actually stuck around to read it. Then others came in and reviewed it as well, but for some reason I always seemed to expect a review from you at least. I don't know if it's odd to say that, but either way I am truly grateful for you taking the time to read the story. Thank you, and I hope to see you in either the next chapter in Roland's story or the side-stories that will be Project Himebana. Whichever one comes first.**

**So, for those who reach this point after starting from the beginning...welcome to the world of "Strike Heroes", and I hope to see you all in the future.**

**Please read and review, and let me know how the epilogue went.**

**Thanks.**


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